The Female of the Species
by SSG Michael B Jackson
Summary: A sequel to both 'Small Tragedies' and 'Assassin's Heart'. This story follows both ADP cyberofficer Akiko Natomi and the android Jillian into an uncertain future that parallels but does not follow the events of Bubblegum Crash!
1. Just Another Day at the Office

_Well, here's the first chapter of 'Female of the Species', which is a sequel to both 'Small Tragedies' and 'Assassin's Heart'. I actually have quite a bit of this done, but I'll be throwing it out there in small bites, depending on the reaction. So please, make a little time and toss me some feedback. Enjoy!_

SGT Akiko Natomi was beginning to fully appreciate the capabilities of her new body. After a little over two months back on the job, and countless rogue boomer engagements, she finally felt that she was really getting the hang of things. Lately, in fact, she'd begun to truly enjoy her work, at least most of the time. It just felt damn good to be able to give back a little of what she'd received in the past, and she found herself almost looking forward to the next incident after each victory. For the moment, there was little else in her life, and she knew that each day, each fight, brought her one day closer to the end of her probationary period. And, she hoped, the beginning of the rest of her life. For the moment, though, reality was a more pressing concern than her daydreams.

Pulling herself from her momentary reverie, Natomi dodged a clumsy swing aimed at her head by the rogue security boomer she was engaging. Extending her energized wrist blades with an audible snap, she counter attacked, slashing it's torso and abdomen with two quick swipes. Orange pseudo-blood leaked out, running down it's armored carapace, but it was only a minor wound and the crazed cyberdroid was far from done. Regaining it's equilibrium, it sighted in on Natomi with an arm-mounted beam cannon and fired.

But for Natomi, super-conducting nerve fibers operating at digital speeds, it seemed to move in slow motion. By the time it had brought the weapon to bear, Natomi was already moving. She was airborne by the time it fired, and, somersaulting and twisting as she passed over it, she slammed her fist, blade still extended, into the top of it's head. This drove the humming, glittering blade through it's metallic skull, penetrating all the way to the base of it's neck. Still airborne, she twisted around, blade still embedded, and then completed her flip, ramming her other blade into the boomer's back as she landed.

The security model gave an inhuman, metallic howl and began to thrash violently. But Natomi wasn't done. With a yell, she jerked the impaled boomer up, off it's feet, and threw all 360 kilos of it over her head. She held it there for a moment, still thrashing, and then, retracting her blades and shifting her grip, she dropped to one knee and brought the boomer smashing down over the other. With her full cyber-strength behind the maneuver, the boomer's weakened structure stood little chance. It's metallic spine snapped on impact, and the already scored abdominal armor cracked like the carapace of a boiled crab, sending orange fluid and various unidentifiable bits of organic and metallic debris flying.

Rolling the very dead security model off her lap, Natomi looked up at the tactical commander and his line squad, who'd set up a perimeter around the scene. Grinning wolfishly, she dusted off her hands and said, "Guess that's it, boys. Ready to pack up and head in?"

Most of the line troopers just stared at her, shocked. While glad to see a potentially lethal situation wrapped up so handily, they found themselves disturbed on several levels. Even after two months of witnessing or at least hearing about similar performances, it was almost impossible to reconcile what they'd just seen with the rather unimposing young woman who stood in front of them. Granted, the one or two old-timers in the ranks could recall similar shows put on by the now infamous Billy Fanward. But at least he'd looked like an armored killing machine, not like just another cop on the beat.

In that respect, SGT Natomi struck perhaps an even deeper chord of disquiet in her fellow officers. She looked much as she had before her body had been mangled by a seventy-five meter fall precipitated by a near-miss from a boomer's mouth laser. Her long, raven hair and deep brown eyes were the same, but there was something different about her appearance overall. Something just a bit too perfect, her co-workers sometimes whispered. Something not quite human, they said. And, some of those old-timers thought, her methods, like Fanward's, were slowly becoming more flamboyant and violent as time went on.

SGT Ryan Patrick Hall, tactical commander, and one of those old-timers, just shook his auburn-maned head slowly, and said, "Christ, Natomi. You think you could've been just a little flashier with that last move? For a minute there, I thought I was inside one of those old video games, and a voice was gonna come out of nowhere saying, 'Finish him!' You getting cocky on us, or what?"

Natomi snorted and said, "Is it cocky to enjoy doing what you can do? I'm a little less than fond of boomers, all things considered, so I don't see any real reason to take it easy on them, do you?"

Hall sighed, and said, "Well, hell, of course not. That's a quick way to die on this job. But so is getting overconfident. See, I knew this guy, Alus, a few years back. Typical line trooper in those days, thought he was the hottest shit to hit the block since the Quake. He had a signature move too, liked to use a friggin' garotte against light-skinned models and what not. Thought it looked cool or some damn thing, I guess. But one day, big bad-ass Alus ran into the wrong boomer, a goddamn BU-E-35 waitress model of all things, and he got waxed. And if he hadn't of been such a cocky, arrogant son-of-a-bitch, he probably would've made it. Any of this sinking in for you, Natomi?"

'Kiko frowned, and said, "I get the point, Hall. But I don't think I was hanging my ass out in the breeze with that thing. Christ, you guys might've been able to take it down even without me. I just happened to be close enough to respond and save you the trouble."

Hall rolled his pale green eyes heavenward, and said, "Oh, yeah, God pity the poor helpless line troopies! I know, we can't even wipe our own asses without help, much less take on an armed boomer by ourselves. We're just about obsolete, right? Especially with super-cops like you around, huh?"

Natomi flushed scarlet, and, leveling a finger at Hall, yelled, "That's bullshit and you know it, Hall! That's not what I said! I was a damned line trooper for two years before this happened to me! Hell, I was even in your squad for a couple of months toward the end! So I damned well know you guys aren't helpless! I just want to do everything I can to make sure that nobody else has to die for no good reason! If I don't do that, then what the hell good am I! What happened to me would be completely meaningless, and that's something I just couldn't live with! Any of this sinking in for YOU, Hall!"

As the disagreement between Hall and Natomi had escalated, so had the line trooper's nervousness. All of them had turned inward, keeping a close eye on the situation and especially on Natomi. In fact, a number of the line troopers had, consciously or unconsciously, raised their weapons to a ready-port position, and seemed poised for trouble. In their minds, old-timers and newbies alike, the specter of Billy Fanward seemed all too near.

Sensing the tension in the atmosphere, both Hall and Natomi fell silent and just slowly looked around the circle of their fellow officers. Taking in their wary stance and expressions, not to mention the almost readied weapons, Natomi was nearly floored. She doubted it could have hurt any more if she'd been back-handed by a combat boomer. With a small gasp, she took a step back from Hall, and, eyes misting over, said in a voice hoarse with emotion, "So. That's how it is. I get a little loud, a little bit pissed off, justifiably so, no less, and all of a sudden I'm a menace? Is that what you all think? Well, I've got a news flash for all of you: I'm NOT goddamned BILLY FANWARD!"

And then, tears sliding down her cheeks, she stormed past Hall, heading toward the parking lot where his squad had staged.

"Hey!" He yelled. "Where the hell are you going, Natomi? You air-dropped in here, remember?"

She shrugged angrily, and, over her shoulder, called out, "So I'll call the damned aerodyne back! I can do that, you know."

Hall sighed and, shaking his head said, "Yeah, ok, then, Natomi. Do whatever the hell you want."

Surprisingly, she laughed at this, albeit bitterly, and said, "Ha! Do what I want, he says! Yeah, like that's going to happen any time soon."

Hall shook his head again and wondered just how the hell things had managed to get so far off track so quickly. 'Well,' he thought cynically, 'If this is anything to judge by, I guess I just proved I'm the ADP's 'guy most likely to screw up a wet dream'. Wish I could even say I was surprised.'

Naturally, things only got better from there.

_Well, that's it for now, but once again, please review, and let me know how I'm doing. I'll give it a couple of days, and then try to send out the next little bit. Thanks!_


	2. Despair and Hope

_Not much reaction to that first chapter. Still, thanks for your kind words, Kjara, and for your feedback. Hopefully you'll continue to read, and who knows? Maybe a few more readers will get interested by and by._

As soon as he arrived back at the station, SGT Hall was told that the chief wanted to see him. 'Ah, Christ!' He thought as he made his way through the building toward the chief's office. 'Now what? I used to think Todo was bad, but this new bastard! At least Todo would stand up to you, face to face and toe to toe, and tell you that you were chewed the hell up. This guy seems like the kind who'll blow sunshine up your ass and then stab you in the back after the fact. Goddamned corporate yes-man, that's what he is. And God only knows why Chief Todo retired so suddenly. Sure didn't seem to be planning on it, and then, two weeks ago, bam! He puts in the paperwork. What the hell kind of shit is that?'

Hall's mental tirade halted abruptly as he reached the chief's receptionist, and saw who awaited him there. Leaning against the wall, arms crossed over her chest, was SGT Natomi. She looked up at him as he neared, her expression unreadable, and said, "Well. Fancy meeting you here."

Hall sighed loudly, and said, "Yeah, imagine that. Chief sent for you too?"

She nodded, and said, "Mm-hmm. Sure did."

"Well, this should be damn interesting, then," Hall said dryly.

The receptionist cleared her throat pointedly, and said, "The chief wanted to speak to you first, SGT Hall. He said he'd call for SGT Natomi once he'd discussed things with you. You can, uh, go right in."

Hall grunted, and, looking to Natomi, said, "Huh. That ok with you, Natomi? Or does that leave you feeling cut out of the loop?"

'Kiko shrugged, and, voice sullen, said, "What difference does it make? He's the chief. I guess he'll do whatever he feels like."

Hall shook his head and said, "Right. Shouldn't of asked. Got it."

And then, turning, he strode purposefully to the chief's door and knocked authoritatively. After hearing a muffled, "Come in," he opened the door and walked in, stopping two paces in front of the chief's desk. If the man behind it had been Todo, he might have saluted, but he'd be damned if he'd give this pale imitation that honor.

"You wanted to see me, chief?" He said in a neutral tone.

The new chief, a nervous, pale little man, said, a bit uncertainly, "Ah, yes, Officer Hall. There-"

"SERGEANT Hall, sir," Hall interrupted.

Backpedaling slightly, the chief said quickly, "Oh, yes, of course, Sergeant! You'll have to forgive me, I'm still not used to all of these titles. They're not the ones I'm accustomed to using, after all."

Sighing in exasperation, Hall said, "Yeah, I can imagine, sir. Police department's a whole different world from the board room and all that crap. So what was it you wanted to talk about, sir?"

Considering for a moment, the chief finally said, "Well, SGT Hall, it's simply this. For the last two weeks, I've sort of been in 'look, listen, and feel' mode, if you know what I mean. You can't just come on board somewhere and start changing things without seeing how they work first, right?"

"Yeah," Hall said tiredly, "I suppose. Unless you can see that shit's screwed up from the get-go, of course."

The chief nodded tentatively, and said, "Well, yes. But at any rate, I think I've gotten a pretty good overview of operations here in the ADP, and I've already identified a few changes I'd like to make."

'Here it comes,' Hall thought resignedly. 'This is where the shit starts getting deep.'

After a pause, the chief continued. "In addition to some overall changes in the department's response and equipment deployment policies, I find myself in a rather awkward position regarding one special piece of equipment on the department's books. The Mark II Advanced Police Anti-Boomer Battle Cyborg, to be exact. And I believe you can help me with my little conundrum."

Frowning now, Hall said, "Help you, chief? With Natomi? Begging your pardon, sir, but what the hell do you think I can do to help you with her? In case you hadn't heard, the two of us had a little falling out today, and I don't think I'm exactly her favorite person right now."

Looking vaguely perplexed, the chief said, "Well, I'm not sure exactly how that's relevant, SGT Hall. I don't think it's 'feelings' are really a factor here. We are discussing a piece of police hardware, after all."

Hall felt the blood rise to his face as he heard this, and he said angrily, "Now wait just a goddamned minute! That 'piece of hardware' you're talking about just happens to be a cop! And whatever I might think about what's been done to her, I can't deny that her heart's in the right place! Shit, the first thing she did after coming back to work for this department, AFTER SHE'D DIED FOR IT, was save my whole squad's collective ass from a bunch of berserk combat boomers! Not to mention saving God only knows how many lives down in Yokohama after the fact. So even if the two of us had a little tiff today, I'll be damned if I'll stand here and let her be discussed like a goddamn K-suit or a road chaser!" And then, sarcastically, he added, "Sir."

Licking his lips nervously, the chief said quickly, "Well, yes, of course I can see your point of view, SGT Hall. And certainly I wouldn't want to belittle it's-"

"Her." Hall interrupted in a flat, dangerous tone.

"Er, her achievements." The chief finished cautiously, and then continued. "But, as I'm sure you're aware, by law she's no longer human. The only thing left of the original Akiko Natomi is a brain and spinal chord, installed, is it were, in an experimental heavy androidial combat frame. And even those have been modified and toughened by the use of nano-technology, yes? If I understand the technical summaries correctly, that is. "

Still frowning, Hall said, "Yeah, that's how I understand it. So?"

"So, Sergeant," he said leadingly, "What does that add up to, from a legal standpoint?"

Hall sighed, and, reluctantly, said, "Yeah, she's way over the seventy percent mark. We both know that. So, legally, she's a boomeroid. You're not telling me anything I didn't already know."

Nodding, the chief said, "Exactly. And therefore, she's neither a human being, nor is she entitled to any of the legal rights of a human being. She's the legal property of Cytech Enterprises, currently licensed exclusively for experimental use by the Advanced Police Department. And that's where it stands."

"Alright," Hall said slowly, "You've made your point, chief. Now where the hell are you going with this?"

"Actually, it's pretty simple," the chief said slowly. "I believe the current air-patrol and deployment scheme that's being used with her is both risky and cost-prohibitive. Keeping her on-station in the air for most of a shift, or sometimes even two with her endurance, is costing the department an arm and a leg, so to speak. And it allows her to be dangerously unsupervised."

Hall's eyebrows jumped up in surprise, and he said, "Unsupervised? What the hell are you talking about, sir? There's a pilot and a crew chief on those birds!"

The chief shook his head and said, "Yes, but they're not in charge of her. She was given the authority to make the decision whether or not to respond to a particular incident. That was the former chief's position, I believe."

"Well, yeah," Hall said slowly. "With limits, of course. She still has to get the okay from dispatch to drop in, and the tactical commander on scene could veto her. But who the hell would want to? Yeah, we had some harsh words today, and I accused her of thinking we were helpless. But the truth is, even with minor incidents, cops get hurt, if not killed. Even when we're able to take care of whatever it is, we hardly ever get away scott-free. So even if a commander's a glory-hog, he or she's usually damn glad to spare their people some lumps. And 'Kiko usually hands out a helluva lot more than she takes, trust me."

The chief just nodded slowly and said, "Yes, I'm sure. Be that as it may, I've decided to change things around a bit. First off, no more air patrol. I simply cannot justify the expense. From now on, she'll either be here at the tower on standby, or out in a regular patrol vehicle. She should be able to provide adequate coverage that way, and if need be she can always be picked up by aircraft for a specific mission."

Hall frowned, and said, "I think you're making a big damn mistake with this, chief, but obviously you've made up your mind. So what other changes are you planning on making?"

Smiling again, the chief said, "Oh, just this, Lieutenant Hall-"

"Ah, that's Sergeant Hall, sir." Hall said carefully.

The chief shook his head just slightly, and, still smiling said, "As I was saying, LIEUTENANT Hall, I believe that our Anti-Boomer Cyborg needs just a bit closer supervision. Someone with a bit more rank on the collar to keep an eye on her. A… partner, if you will."

Again Hall's eyebrows shot up, and he said, "Oh, hell no! You're talking about pulling me off the line, away from my guys, and putting me in a position where I'm not only completely redundant but probably worse than useless! Shit, I'm good and I know it, but I'd just slow her down if the shit hit the fan!"

"I'm sorry you feel that way, LT Hall," the chief said with mock-sincerity, and then, "but I'm afraid I must insist. Of course, if you don't feel up to this assignment, I believe there is a position open for a tactical instructor at the academy in Kobe. I'm sure that you and Sergeant Major Takashi would have a lot to reminisce about up there."

Color rising once again, Hall said, "So that's how it is, huh? Either I agree to this crap or you screw me over the same way they screwed Ami over years ago? That's bullshit!"

"Possibly," the chief conceded, "but those are your only two choices. I… took the liberty of filling your old position already. You'll probably want to clear out your locker in the squad room after this, regardless of your decision."

Breathing heavily and restraining himself almost physically, Hall said through clenched teeth, "Goddamn it! You know damn good and well what I'm going to say! No way in hell am I gonna get parked behind a desk or in a friggin' classroom up in Kobe! Yeah, I'll partner up with 'Kiko! But you can be friggin' sure that you're gonna regret this, SIR!"

The chief nodded slowly, and said, "That may be, LT Hall. Only time will tell. But remember. You're in charge. You have the rank, and the authority. And the RESPONSIBILITY. She doesn't make a move unless you say so. And that applies twenty-four hours a day, not just during shift work."

"For Christ's sake, chief!" Hall exclaimed. "She already can't leave the building without a chaperone, and she has to sign out at the front door. What the hell else do you want?"

"You need to know her every move, Lieutenant," the chief said. "So far as I'm concerned, other than in a dire emergency, no one other than you, me, or an authorized Cytech employee will be allowed to escort her outside the building. And under no circumstances should she leave alone."

Vaguely amazed now, Hall just stared at the creature that had replaced Chief Todo. 'Christ,' he thought, 'We didn't know how good we had it all these years.' Aloud, he said, "You're out of your goddamned mind, sir. If you're trying to drive her friggin' nuts, you've just about found the perfect formula to do it."

"Again, I'm sorry you feel that way, Lieutenant," the chief said. "But that's just the way things will have to be. And now, I think we need to explain things to SGT Natomi, don't you?"

"Huh!" Hall said, and then, sarcastically, "Why bother? I thought she was just a piece of equipment to you. You don't explain shit to your toaster, do you?"

Seemingly oblivious to Hall's tone, the chief replied, "Well, no, but SGT Natomi is a bit more complicated than a toaster, I'm afraid. A better analogy might be a cleaning boomer or some such, I suppose. I certainly would explain what I wanted to one of those, and very carefully, I might add."

Hall could take no more of this. Realizing that if he spent another minute in the same room with the chief he'd most likely become the perpetrator of a major crime, Hall turned on his heel and headed for the door, saying over his shoulder, "That's it! I'll send her in and you can explain this shit yourself! And I friggin' dare you to use that cleaning boomer line on her! Could be kinda' hard getting a couple of K-suits in here to save your ass when you won't be able to authorize them. SIR"

With that, Hall stormed out, slamming the door behind him hard enough to rattle the wall. He stalked angrily toward the receptionist's desk, looking for Natomi, and was brought up short when he failed to find her. Frowning, he turned to the receptionist.

"Where the hell did she go?" He said.

With an odd look on her face, the receptionist said, "I'm not sure, sir. It was the oddest thing…"

"What do you mean, odd?" Hall said suspiciously.

Frowning, the receptionist said, "Well, not long after you went into the chief's office, the strangest thing happened. She was just standing there, with her head kind of cocked to one side, almost as if she were listening to something. But there was nothing to hear! And then, all of a sudden, her eyes got really wide, and she put her hand over her mouth, as if she were horrified by something. I asked her if she was okay, but she just ignored me. Then, for no reason at all, she started to cry, and just kind of slid down the wall until she was sitting on the floor, hugging her knees of all things! I was just about to call Chief over the intercom, but then she jerked her head up all of a sudden and gasped really loud. She had this expression on her face… I don't even know how to describe it, really. Lost, I guess, like a little child, maybe. And then she just jumped up and bolted away, sobbing." The receptionist paused, shaking her head slowly, and then said, "I was just so surprised I didn't know what to do. Why do you think she did all of that?"

Hall suddenly smacked his forehead and then drew his hand slowly down his face. "Son-of-a-bitch!" He said self-reprovingly. "How in hell could I have forgotten about those damn cyber-ears? She heard every friggin' thing that was said in there!"

Looking puzzled, the receptionist said slowly, "I take it that's a bad thing?"

Shaking his head, Hall sighed and said, "Lady, you don't know the half of it."

With that, Hall took off at a run, thinking that this was a hell of a way to break in a new partner.

Alone in her bedroom, one of the small suite of rooms on the ADP tower's twenty-fourth floor that had been remodeled to accommodate her, Akiko lay curled on her bed, sobbing, a small, yellow teddy bear clutched to her chest. She could hardly believe the things she'd heard, and she didn't want to believe what those things said about the new chief's attitude toward her.

Taken together with her earlier fight with Hall, and the reactions of his people, this latest incident seemed to her to be just another part of a depressing pattern. In fact, it seemed that her new life, so far at least tolerable with brief moments of near-happiness, had just come crashing down around her, all in one day. And, worst of all, she knew that there was no escape for her. It wasn't like she could just turn in her badge and quit.

As she contemplated these black thoughts, still sobbing, she hugged the teddy bear even tighter. She was careful, though, to make sure her kinesthetic subroutines' safety interlocks were engaged, damping down the power of her enhanced musculature. She'd never forgive herself if she damaged the bear in any way. It wasn't replaceable.

There was a low rapping at the suite's front door, followed by a muffled voice. "'Kiko? It's me, Hall. Can I come in?"

She briefly considered just ignoring him in the hope that he'd eventually go away, but she quickly rejected that idea. More than likely he'd either wait there until she couldn't ignore him anymore, or, if he were concerned enough, he might just get someone to override the locking mechanism. Either way, she knew she'd have to deal with him sooner or later.

With a shuddering sigh, she said, "Yeah, I suppose so." Simultaneously, using her internal wireless link, she sent a signal unlocking the door.

Hall came inside a bit hesitantly, probably the first time she'd ever seen him tentative about anything. She sat up as he entered the bedroom, still holding the teddy bear tucked under her arm. Hall couldn't help but notice this, and, taking a closer look, saw that the bear held in it's small paws a framed photo of what appeared to be a newborn infant, cradled on someone's arm.

Casting about for some way to start, Hall simply said, "Nice bear, 'Kiko."

Looking down at the bear rather than at Hall, she said in a small voice, "Toshiro gave this to me the day Maiume was born. He snapped the picture in the hospital room, printed it out downstairs, and bought the bear in the gift shop. I remember when he came back in, grinning from ear to ear and hiding something behind his back. I sort of fell in love with him all over again when he handed me that bear. It just said so much about what kind of man he was. Always so gentle and kind."

Hall sighed, sure that he'd picked exactly the wrong way to open the conversation, and said, "Toshiro was your husband, right?"

'Kiko nodded, and said, "Yeah. Was. But you know that story, Hall."

Hall nodded as well, and said slowly, "He was Tokyo PD, right? An N-cop?"

'Kiko smiled wistfully, and said, "He hated that word; N-cop. N-police too. N- for normal, as if they were just the boring, watered down version of the ADP or something. We used to tease each other all the time with stuff like that. And he used to worry so much about me. He always said that I should just transfer back over to Tokyo PD and stop trying to save the damned world, or whatever it was we did in the ADP." She shook her head, and then said, "I guess that's kind of ironic, isn't it? That he was the one always worried about me."

"I guess so," Hall said carefully. "He died, line of duty, right?"

'Kiko nodded again, and said in a tight voice, "Yeah. Went patrolling way too damn close to the Canyons one night, and ran across a bunch of wanna-be gangers mugging some old lady. So naturally, he had to charge in and save the day. The old lady got away, but Toshiro didn't. Just one crappy little .32 caliber bullet, Hall. Something that would barely even scratch a coffee-boomer's hide, and suddenly a wife is a widow, and a little girl has no Daddy. How the hell is that fair? Can you tell me that?"

Hall shook his head slowly, and said, "No, I wish I could, but I can't. There's a whole lot of shit that's not fair, 'Kiko. Especially in this damned town."

Sniffing, she said, "Yeah, tell me about it. Seems to be the story of my life. Every damn time I pick myself back up after fate's kicked the shit out of me, something else comes along and knocks me right back down. First it was Toshi dying, and then my little… accident. And now, just when I'd started to think that maybe I was getting things back together, that maybe I'd be able to pull something good out this whole nightmare, I get kicked in the damn teeth again! Christ, Hall, as far as chief's concerned, I'm just one step above a damn cleaning boomer! You heard him! How the hell do I fight that? And if that's how he feels, what chance do I stand of ever being with Maiume again? He's the one in a position to either make that happen or make sure that it never does, and what do you think he'll recommend?"

Hall sighed, and said, "Hell, 'Kiko, I don't know what to tell you. I used to think Todo was friggin' impossible. I used to go round and round with him just like McNichol and Takashi did. But after seeing what this rat-bastard is all about tonight, I'd damn near get on my knees and kiss Todo's fat, wrinkled old ass if he'd come back."

Incongruously, Akiko giggled at this, and, frowning, Hall said, "Ok, what's so damned funny, Natomi? You're not losing it on me, are you?"

She shook her head, and said, "No, it's just the mental image, that's all. Picturing Chief Todo's ass is bad enough, but seeing you on your knees, all puckered up and ready to-"

"Ok!" Hall said quickly, "I got it! And I don't need that image any more than you do. But at least you laughed."

'Kiko sighed, and said, "Yeah, I guess that's true. But goddamn it, Hall! Why all this crap, and why now? Why couldn't he have just left things like they were? It was working! Over the last two months, line of duty deaths have dropped by fifty-seven percent! Not all of that was me, but sure as hell some of it was! And it's only because I was able to be where I was needed when I was needed. It won't work that way in a damned patrol car."

"Huh!" Hall said smugly. "You've never seen me drive a road chaser, obviously."

'Kiko rolled her eyes, and said, "Riiiight. You and Leon have been hanging out again, haven't you? Getting drunk, talking lots of shit, and reminiscing about the roaring '20's, or some crap like that, I'll bet."

Hall shook his head, and said, "Naw, Leon and I kind of parted ways once he moved upstairs. We still shoot the shit every so often, but I never really wanted to be anywhere but on the line. It's what I'm best at, and where I can do the most good. I don't think there's anybody in the department who can deny that my squad's just about the best we've got. Damn near as good as Takashi's ASWAT people were back in the day. Maybe better in their own way."

"And now you're stuck with me," Akiko said slowly. And then, thoughtfully, she continued. "Y'know, after this afternoon, I was really surprised by what you said there in the chief's office, Hall. I didn't expect you to stick up for me like that."

"Ah, shit," he said gruffly. "I just told the damn truth, Natomi. The chief was so full of bullshit he was about to explode. Just wish I'd had a pin to help him along."

She giggled again, and said, "Y'know, Hall, maybe this won't be so bad after all. None of those chopper pilots made me laugh the way you do."

"Great," he said resignedly. "If nothing else, I'm good for moral support and sound effects. And that's probably just about all."

Frowning, 'Kiko shook her head and said, "Oh, I don't believe that for a minute, Hall. You're too evil a bastard to be happy sitting on the sidelines. If anything kicks off, I fully expect you'll find some way to make yourself useful."

"Heh." He said, grinning slightly. "You might just be right about that. Chief might've bitten off a hell of a lot more than he can chew, putting the two of us together. We might just end up being more trouble than Malso and McNichol were. That'd serve his ass right."

She laughed again, and said, "Damn you, Hall! You've managed to slice right through that black funk I was having so much fun wallowing in and actually put me in a decent mood again. I may never forgive you."

"Well, hell,' he said. "That calls for a celebration, then. Grab yourself some civvies, get changed, and then you're coming with me."

Frowning again, she said, "Whoa, now, wait a minute. What've you got in mind, Hall?"

"Nothing much," he said, smiling. "Just a little night out. When the hell's the last time you got out of this hole other than to duke it out with a damn screw-loose boomer anyway?"

"Too long," 'Kiko admitted. "Too damn long. Ok, Hall, you're on. But don't expect anything fancy. I don't really keep a whole lot of clothes up here."

"That's fine," he said. "The place we're going is pretty casual. But the atmosphere is great."

_That's the end of chapter 2; hope you enjoyed. This one was mostly drama, and character setup, and the next one's pretty much plot advancement. Chapter 4, however, is packed with action, so if you can stand it that long, hang out and see what's coming. Oh, and please review; I really like to know what I'm doing, right and wrong._


	3. New Friends, Old Enemies

_Again, not much reaction to that last chapter, but thank you for your feedback Jim. I guess there's just not a lot of activity in this particular fandom; still, since this is already written, I might as well get it out there._

Dr. Kenjiro Nakatomi sat behind his polished mahogany desk in his expensively but tastefully decorated office on the ground floor of the Cytech Enterprises administrative building. Normally, at this hour, he'd have been in one of the laboratories he oversaw, or maybe out at a field site, checking on the progress of one of his projects. But tonight, he had to take time out from these activities for a particularly important phone call.

On his desk's built-in work station, he'd opened a secure-line phone window, scrambled and encrypted far beyond the ability of any but the most sophisticated code breaking software to crack, and awaited an answer.

After two rings, the other party picked up, and he found himself gazing at a very familiar lavender haired woman. Familiar for reasons that very few but himself knew, he though with a sly mental grin.

"Ms. Madigan," he said warmly, "Always a pleasure to speak to you."

"Dr. Nakatomi," she replied in a more neutral tone, "So good to hear from you as well. Your report?"

Frowning thoughtfully, he said, "Stage One was officially complete this morning. Ms. Natomi's 'break-in' period is over. We've purposely kept stress levels as low as possible for her until now, and the results have been encouraging. She's demonstrated a markedly better adaptation to her situation than the late Mr. Fanward, to say the least, and I think that, while far from conclusive, this certainly suggests that cyber-psychosis isn't an inevitable result of full-body prosthesis. The possibilities should open up from here."

A small smile graced Ms. Madigan's lips then, and she said, "That could be, Doctor, but I believe there's still the small matter of Stage Two to be overcome first, yes? Ms. Natomi has proven that she can make it in a relatively friendly environment, but she hasn't been through her baptism by fire yet, now has she?"

Dr. Nakatomi smiled just slightly, and said, "Oh, it's begun already, I assure you. She and the Advanced Police Department's new chief are… interacting just as we thought they might. My sources there have informed me that the results of her meeting with him tonight were quite…spectacular. And it should be rather interesting to see how she and her new partner operate together. A human 'handler' for products of her type might or might not be a direction in which we'd want to proceed."

On the other end, Ms. Madigan nodded slowly, and said, "Good. It sounds like everything's on track, then. We'll begin our phase of the operation immediately." And then, smiling in a predatory manner, she added, "There are a few other of our products that need concurrent testing, after all."

"Excellent," Nakatomi said slowly. "She left the ADP tower about a half hour ago in Mr. Hall's company. By all reports, she seemed to be in a much better mood than she was immediately following the meeting with the chief of police. In fact, I believe both of them were in civilian attire, and Mr. Hall had mentioned 'getting her away from it all for a night'. It seems that they may be much more compatible than I'd thought."

"Well," Ms. Madigan said playfully, "It certainly seems a shame to ruin such a rare night out. But business is business, after all."

Still smiling, Dr. Nakatomi said, "Quite." And then, as an afterthought, "You shouldn't have any trouble locating or tracking her from the Tower. You know the frequencies to monitor. And of course I'll be recording the telemetric data here for analysis."

Ms. Madigan nodded, and said, "And we have enough 'covert' units around to ensure excellent footage for later review as well. I think we just about have this covered, Doctor."

"I'm sure of that, Ms. Madigan," he said. "And I'm equally sure that, whatever the outcome of the Stage Two, we'll collect excellent data. Even if we end up testing Ms. Natomi to destruction, I'm certain that we'll find out everything we need to know to make our… other projects a success."

Smiling wolfishly now, Ms. Madigan said, "My thoughts exactly, Doctor. Now I believe it's time to get things started."

Hall had certainly been right about the atmosphere, though with a name like 'Hot Legs', she hadn't known what to expect. "Huh!" She'd said when they'd pulled up and she'd seen the sign. "This isn't a titty bar or something, is it Hall? Because that's really not my idea of fun right now. Not even if they have a Chip n' Dale's show."

Hall had just snorted and said, "Naw, this place is cool. Never mind the name. This is one of McNichol's favorite hang-outs, by the way. He turned me on to it."

'Kiko had rolled her eyes, and said, "Oh, now there's a recommendation!"

Shaking his head, Hall had said, "You'll see. Just come on in."

Reluctantly she had, and she had to admit, she wasn't sorry. Inside, the place wasn't half bad. The drinks weren't overpriced or watered down, or at least that's what Hall told her, and the crowd seemed fairly interesting. Not a bunch of stuffed shirts like you'd find in an uptown bar, and not the serious low-lifes who could be found just a little closer to the Canyons. There seemed to be a representative mix of people from many of Mega Tokyo's social stratas, and they all seemed to be blending well together.

In fact, Akiko realized, that's probably what she found herself liking most about the place. It was one of those establishments that, while there were definitely regulars, could accommodate almost anyone. Maybe, she thought, even someone who wasn't quite human anymore.

"Ok, Hall, you were right," she said, pitching her voice above the hum of conversation and the canned background music that was playing on the bar's sound system at the moment. "This place isn't bad at all." And then, frowning slightly, she said, "But I kind of wish I wasn't getting so many eyeballs. There are plenty of other girls in here, most of them without male escorts, so what gives? Why are so many guys staring at me?"

Hall just laughed and said, "You're shittin' me, right? Haven't you bothered to look in a mirror for the last two months?"

Her frown deepened, and she said, "Yeah, of course I have. And I know, who-the-hell-ever did the cosmetic work on me went way overboard, but damn! I'm not even dressed up! No make-up either, and I didn't really do a damn thing with my hair! So what the hell?"

Taking in the simple blue chiffon dress she wore, her plain white sandals, and the pale blue scrunchie that held her hair back in a school girl's ponytail, Hall saw all too clearly what the other men in the club were looking at.

He hadn't been sure how she'd dress when he'd waited for her in her suite's living room, and she'd managed to surprise him. He'd been expecting maybe jeans and a t-shirt, or something similar, something more like what most of the female line officers he knew tended to wear off duty. All of them, it seemed, liked to dress a little tough, or at least with little eye for fashion.

But Natomi had chosen to go for the soft look. The girlish look. And that had thrown him just a little bit. But, in hindsight, he supposed it figured. She, out of every other woman in the ADP, needed the very least to prove how tough she was. In fact, he realized, she probably wanted to feel just a little bit soft for a while. Like a woman again, instead of a cyber-enhanced boomer-killer. Yeah, he could understand that, he thought.

Aloud, he said wryly, "'Kiko, not only are you one of the prettiest girls in here, but in that get-up you're probably sparking off every 'school-girl' fantasy that any of these bastards has ever had. And before you get pissed, that's a compliment, not a criticism, ok?"

'Kiko just laughed, apparently deciding that she didn't mind the attention so much after all, and said, "Well, since you put it that way, partner. And while we're on the subject, I must say, you clean up pretty well yourself. I never would've figured you for the dressy type, but…"

Looking down at the expensive and trendy light blue suit he wore, Hall grunted and said, "Yeah, I know, everybody probably figures I just wear fatigues twenty-four-seven like old Dieork used to. I guess that's just the image I throw out there."

She nodded, and said, "You could say that. But hey! I thought you said there was a band playing here tonight. I can see the equipment on stage, but where are they? We've been here a while now. Isn't this a pretty long break if they're between sets?"

Scanning the room, Hall said, "Well, this band is like that sometimes. They're damn good, but their lead singer is a little flakey. Got a helluva voice, but she does things her own way and on her own schedule." And then, locating a pair of familiar faces, he said, "Yeah, I see her now. And I'll be damned if she's not sharing a table with Nene Romanova."

'Kiko frowned, and said, "Romanova? You mean that little red-headed operator who's always bouncing from one shift to another? Huh! I would've though this place was a little rough for her tastes."

Hall shrugged, and said, "Well, you can ask her if you want." And then, grinning slyly, he said, "It'd be a damned good excuse to meet one of the band too."

'Kiko smiled, and said, "Well, hell, why not?"

With that, they started to make their way through the crowd, Hall breaking trail for the smaller Natomi. Not that she couldn't have done it quite handily herself, he knew. He just thought it was the gentlemanly thing to do.

As they approached, Hall saw that the two young women were talking and laughing together animatedly, obviously good friends. He found that a bit odd, considering the reputation Miss Asagiri had when it came to cops. Leon had sworn up and down that for some reason she had a positive chip on her shoulder where the ADP was concerned. But, then again, Hall knew that oftentimes friendships transcended occupations, and it was entirely possible that Nene's relationship to Asagiri had developed completely outside her job. Still, he had a hard time picturing it.

"Hey! Nene!" He called as they made it to the table. "Sure as hell didn't expect to see you here. And I didn't know you were in good with the band, either."

Nene started slightly at the sound of her name, and looked at Hall and Natomi with widening eyes. 'Huh!' Hall thought. 'She looks like her mom just caught her with her hand in the cookie jar or something. Wonder what's up with that?' The Asagiri woman, thankfully without the awful blonde wig that Hall still couldn't believe she actually wore on stage, just frowned at them silently, apparently less than happy at the interruption.

Finding her voice after her original surprise, Nene said, "Oh! SGT Hall!" And then in a slightly incredulous tone, "And SGT Natomi? Um, well, I sure didn't expect to see either of you here tonight. Are you, er, having fun?"

Hearing the forced tone in Nene's voice, it was obvious to Hall that he and Akiko weren't exactly the two people in the world she'd most hoped to see tonight. Of course he could understand wanting to leave work at work, and mostly he avoided his co-workers off the job too. But something about Nene's reaction didn't seem quite right, and he wondered just what might be going on between her and the other woman. Were they more than just friends? No, Hall was pretty sure that that wasn't Romanova's style. Drugs? Hell, he hoped not. Or maybe Nene was just shy about mixing her off-duty friends with acquaintances from work. Whatever the case, it piqued Hall's interest, and he didn't plan on just leaving it alone.

Aloud, he said, "Yeah, so far. But we were wondering when your friend there was gonna play another set. 'Priss and the Replicants' is what really makes this place, after all."

Before Nene could reply, Priss, still frowning, said, "I'll get around to another set when I damn well please. Right now, I'm taking a break to shoot the shit with a friend. Or at least I was before we were interrupted."

Hall frowned, and was trying to formulate something tactful to say, always a chore for him, when Natomi beat him to the punch.

"Well, that was damn rude, lady." She said deadpan, stepping up to the table. "Especially to a couple of potential fans. Probably explains why you're still playing in a place like this instead of a concert hall."

'Ah, shit,' Hall thought, having heard second hand stories about Priss Asagiri's temper. And, seeing the color drain from Nene's face as it did, he figured she must have first hand experience.

"What'd you say!" Priss yelled, surging to her feet and leaning over the table toward Natomi.

For her part, Natomi casually rested her hands on the table and leaned forward as well, so that her face was mere inches from Priss's. "You heard me," she said in an even tone. "If you're this bitchy to all of your fans, it's no wonder that you're playing the bar circuit. Musicians generally have to be a hell of a lot more popular than you are to get away with treating their fans like shit. If you keep up like this, you're never gonna make it that far."

Hall saw the color rise on Priss's face, and he knew what was coming. With a growled, "Nobody talks to me like that, you bitch!" Priss drew back her fist and, if not for a certain cute little red-head's sudden intervention, would likely have started something that Hall just didn't want to see. But luckily, as she drew back, Nene all but jumped on her, wrapping both of her arms around Priss's and hanging on for dear life.

"Priss! No!" She yelled. "You don't understand! She's not-!"

But before Nene could finish her sentence, Natomi seemed just to sag all of a sudden, almost as if she had been struck. Eyes misting over, she backed away from the table, and stammered, "I didn't mean- That is I- Ah, shit. I guess this pretty well screws up our little night out, Hall. I should've known better. I guess we'd better go before anything else happens."

With a heavy sigh, Hall said, "Yeah, I guess you're right, 'Kiko. I think we've just about worn out our welcome here."

Looking up at Priss, who by now had dropped her fist and was looking more puzzled than angry, 'Kiko said, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten up in your face like that. Hall and I are the outsiders here, even if Nene does work with us. We're out of here."

Frowning curiously, Priss said, "Wait a minute, now. Don't take off just yet. As much as I hate to admit it, that shit wasn't all your fault. I guess I was a little touchy there."

'Kiko smiled slightly, and said, "Oh, not really. I probably wouldn't have been too happy in your shoes either. You're over here trying to take a break with your friend, and we just come over and butt in."

Priss grunted, and said, "Yeah, well, either way, it's been a while since I had anybody stand up to me like that. You're not afraid of very much, are you?"

'Kiko just shook her head and laughed softly. Seeing the puzzlement on Priss's face, she said, "I guess you could say that. After some of the shit I've been through, there's not much left worth being afraid of. But I can truly say that I didn't want to fight you, for a lot of reasons."

Even more puzzled now, Priss turned to Nene, who seemed to be very uncomfortable for some reason, and said, "Ok, Nene, what's going on here? Who exactly are these two friends of yours?"

"Well," Nene said a bit nervously, pointing to Hall, "This is SGT Hall, one of the line squad tactical commanders I work with. And, uh, this is SGT Natomi. She's umm…"

With a sigh, Natomi picked up where Nene trailed off. "I'm the ADP's big crapshoot, that's what I am. A bunch of big-wigs are making bets both ways on whether or not the Mark II Anti-Boomer Cyborg is gonna pan out right now. And having 'it' get into a bar fight over a silly-ass disagreement probably wouldn't make a very good case in my favor."

Eyes widening, Priss looked sharply to Nene and said, "Oh, shit! So she's the one I've been hearing about on the damn news the last couple of months! And you didn't say jack shit until I was about to break my hand on her face!"

Indignant, Nene said, "Well it's not like you gave me a chance! By the time I knew what was going on, the two of you were ready to go at it! So it wouldn't have been my fault if she'd mopped the floor with you!"

"I wouldn't have done that," 'Kiko said softly. "Sure, I get pissed off, just like anybody else. But I know how to control myself. You kind of have to when your whole body is a lethal weapon, after all."

Hearing her slightly mournful tone, Priss frowned and said, "Huh! You don't sound too happy about the situation."

'Kiko snorted, and said, "Happy? Should I be happy that I got shot off the side of a building and made a concrete angel when I landed? Or that after my body finally gave up the ghost, some bastard somewhere decided to take advantage of the fact that I'd agreed to be an organ donor by harvesting my brain and slapping it into this androidial combat machine? Or maybe I should be happy that, since this all happened, my daughter has been in a corporate-sponsored foster home, and I've gotten to see her exactly twice, for about ten minutes each time. That's a hell of a lot to be happy about, now isn't it?"

Eyes widening slightly, Priss said, "You've got a daughter? And they won't let you see her?"

'Kiko sighed, and said, "Maiume. That's her name. And no, until my probationary period is up, I only have 'limited and supervised' visitation rights. The translation is they don't want me around her too much just in case this whole thing doesn't pan out. In case they end up having to… recall me, I guess you'd say."

"That's bullshit!" Priss said indignantly. "You mean to tell me that those corporate bastards are keeping your kid from you and you're letting them? Shit, if it was me, if I had a kid like that, I'd storm the damn Tower to get her back if I had to! And just let the bastards try to stop me!"

'Kiko smiled wistfully, and said, "Well, don't think I haven't considered it. But it just wouldn't work. Nobody's said so, but I'm sure those bastards built in safeguards to make sure nothing like that could happen. You ever see that old, old movie, 'Robocop'?"

Priss nodded, and said, "Yeah, when I was a kid. We had a bunch of old DVD's, and I remember that one. I had to sneak it out to watch it because my folks thought it was too damn violent for me. They were probably right, I guess, but I sure thought it was cool back then." She paused, looking down as old memories began to drift toward the surface, and then said, "But all that crap got lost in the Quake. Along with every other damn thing that mattered to me, including my parents. Goddamn. That sure as hell wasn't anything I planned on talking about tonight."

Tentatively, Natomi reached out and put a hand on Priss's shoulder, ready to take it away quickly if it proved unwanted. But when it didn't, she said, "I'm sorry…Priss, wasn't it? I didn't mean to dredge up a bunch of bad memories for you. But I know what it's like to loose someone you care for. My husband, Toshiro, he- well, he was a cop too, and- he died, a little over a year ago. He was just doing his job, trying to help someone who needed it, and- and he didn't make it. And all I can remember, really, is little Maiume, she- she was only a year and a half old, and she could only say a few words, but 'Daddy' was one of them. And she just kept standing there by the door like she did every night, saying, 'Daddy? Daddy?', waiting for him to come home. Except I knew he wasn't coming home, not ever. But how could I make her understand that? I-!"

Priss looked up, and, seeing the tears forming in Natomi's eyes, motioned for her to sit down next to her. Putting a hand over hers, Priss said slowly, "Yeah, I've been there. I lost my boyfriend a few years back, a damned corporate hit of some kind, though hell only knows why. And that's why I can't stand most cops. The police didn't do a damned thing about it. Just swept it under the rug. How the hell's that for serve and protect?"

Natomi just shook her head and said, "Unfortunately, I can believe it. The damned corps have us by the balls. Most cops don't want to admit that, but anybody can see it's true."

"Huh! You're the first one I've heard say it," Priss said. "So how the hell do you deal with that? Doesn't it just chap your ass to know that those bastards are pulling the strings?"

"It's not like I have much choice," 'Kiko said sullenly. "I can't just resign like a normal cop. Hell, as the chief was so kind as to point out tonight, legally I'm just a piece of police hardware. I'm surprised he didn't have Hall over there just sign for me like a sidearm or something. He even compared me to a damn cleaning boomer, for Christ's sake."

"You've gotta be friggin' kidding," Priss said incredulously. "He said that shit to your face?"

She shook her head and said, "Oh, hell no. Just ask your friend Nene over there about our brand new chief of police. Direct confrontation just isn't in his nature. But boardroom politics and back-stabbing certainly are. I just happened to overhear a conversation that I wasn't supposed to, that's all."

"God-damn," Priss said slowly, shaking her head. "Y'know, if I had to put up with shit like that, I'd loose my mind. If I couldn't do anything else, I'd probably just blow up."

"Well," 'Kiko said mildly, "that's the heart of the matter, now isn't it? That's exactly what the powers-that-be are afraid of. And after what happened with the last Police Cyborg, who can blame them? If you want a first hand account, ask Hall. He was there. So was McNichol, and I think he's a regular here, isn't he?"

"McNichol!" Priss said indignantly. "Yeah, I can't seem to keep that bastard away! In fact..."

As the conversation between Priss and Akiko continued and deepened, Hall and Nene just looked at each other in bewilderment. "Well, what the hell do you make of that?" Hall said slowly.

Nene just shook her head, and said, "Beats me. But Priss is like that, I guess. Sometimes she just takes to somebody. Usually the last person you'd expect her to."

Cocking his head slightly, Hall said, "Like you, Romanova?"

Starting slightly, Nene said quickly, "Uh, well, yeah, I guess so. We just sort of, er, met, through mutual friends, and, um, hit it off. And I've been coming down here ever since. You can ask Leon, he's seen me here before."

"Huh!" Hall said neutrally, recognizing a tap dance when he heard it. "Well that's pretty cool, I guess. Wouldn't of figured that you and her would have too many friends in common. I'm pretty sure that she runs with a totally different crowd than you do."

"Uh, well, we shop at the same lingerie store," she replied, trying to inject just enough of the truth to make things plausible. "We both know some people there, and they dragged me down here and introduced us. Things just kind of, uh, took off from there."

Hall nodded slowly, and said in a skeptical tone, "Makes sense I suppose. At least as much sense as those two hitting it off."

Nene laughed a little nervously, but before she could formulate a reply, she noticed one of Priss's band members approaching the table. He tapped Priss on the shoulder, interrupting the still ongoing conversation, and said, "Hey, Priss! You plan on sitting out the next set? We're already fifteen minutes late, and the old man's gettin' pissed!"

Priss rolled her eyes and said, "Ah, screw him! We already had it out once, and he ended up begging us to come back." Then, with a resigned sigh, she said, "But I guess if he's got his boxers in a wad, we might as well do it. Maybe he'll shut the hell up then."

Looking back to Natomi, Priss said, "Sorry, work calls. You two gonna hang here, or grab another table?"

"Another table?" Natomi said jokingly. "Where the hell do you see another table free in here? You've got the house packed tonight. If it's ok with Nene, I think we'll stay here."

Priss nodded, and, looking pointedly at Nene said, "Oh, I'm sure it's ok. Right, Nene?"

Seeing Priss's expression, Nene just nodded, and replied, "Uh, sure. I guess."

Priss smiled, and, standing, said, "Good answer." Then, turning toward the stage, she added quickly over her shoulder, "Be back in a few!"

The show was every bit as good as Hall had promised it would be, and 'Kiko could see now why he and McNichol frequented the place. Normally more a fan of classical and old, old, big band tunes, 'Kiko found herself actually getting into Priss's driving, retro J-pop style. There was an intensity of emotion behind her music that took hold of Natomi and really made her feel what Priss had obviously felt when she'd written it. It was almost as if the music were opening a small window into the singer's soul, and Natomi felt privileged to be allowed this glimpse inside. She only wished that she had an outlet like Priss's for what was locked up inside of her.

As the show went on, her attention remained, for the most part, riveted on the stage like everyone else's. But, her cop instincts as deeply ingrained as any good officer's, she did glance around every so often, and scoped out every new arrival thoroughly as they came through the door. And, in her case, 'thoroughly' meant quite a bit more than it did for most cops.

And so it was, while idly checking out a tall, well dressed, red-headed woman who'd just come through the front door, Natomi noticed something odd. Everything looked normal enough in visible and infrared, but when she pinged the woman with one of her active systems, anomalies started to show up. She returned a much 'darker' radar shadow than she should have, indicating that her body was significantly denser than a human one should have been. Not only that, but, as the split-second radar pulse had hit her, the woman seemed to hesitate briefly, almost as if she were aware of it. Frowning, 'Kiko focused a bit more of her attention on the new arrival, hitting her with a full scan.

The woman cocked her head to the side quizzically then, looking around the crowd a bit suspiciously. As a wire-frame model of the woman rapidly built up in 'Kiko's mind's eye, she began to get a clearer picture of what was up. Tensing, she bent close to Hall and whispered loudly in his ear, "Hey! Heads up, partner! We got a live one, coming in the door."

Frowning, he said, "What, the red head? What's the deal?"

"33C if I have her pegged right. Better than a ninety-nine percent match on all the points of identification stored in my recognize friend/foe database. And I don't see an owner anywhere nearby, do you?"

"No," Hall said slowly, "I don't. So what've you got in mind, 'Kiko?"

"Huh!" She said, frowning. "That's my line, isn't it? You're the one in charge, remember?"

Hall rolled his eyes, and said, "Yeah, I remember. And you know as well as I do that's bullshit. If something's up your alley, I'm gonna defer to you. And I expect the same in return, of course."

'Kiko nodded, and, with a small smile, said, "I doubt the chief would like that much, but I'm glad to hear it. And as for our little razor doll over there, well… I'm not sure, but I think she made me. Or if not, she sure as hell knows something's up. I'm sure she caught the scan I did. Regardless, I'm damn sure going to keep an eye on her, and I'd like to get a little closer too. That work for you, partner?"

Hall nodded slowly, and said, "Sounds good. I'll overwatch from here, and if you think something's about to kick off, just show me a thumbs up. If I see that, I'll start moving in your direction."

Sliding her chair back slowly, 'Kiko stood and said, "Sounds like a plan." With that, she made her way into the crowd, working her way slowly closer to the possibly wary boomer.

After over five months abroad, Jillian was glad to be back in Mega Tokyo. Europe had been spectacular, and the States had definitely been worth seeing, but in the end, Japan was home. And Mega Tokyo especially, for if home was indeed where the heart was, hers was here, left in the care of a certain precocious nine-year-old girl. And while Jillian could hardly wait to see little Aiko again, she knew that such things couldn't be rushed. Especially for someone in her rather unique position.

So, while she was watching and waiting to make sure that the things she'd left to avoid had really cooled down, she'd decided to take a good look at some of the parts of Mega Tokyo that she was less than familiar with. Not the Canyons or the Outer District, mind you. She'd made forays into those areas in the past on very specific missions, and had little desire to go back unless she had to. But there were some interesting places in that general direction, and her curiosity had been piqued by a particular flyer she'd happened across. After having both read Phillip K. Dick's 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep', and seen the big screen version of the story, entitled 'Blade Runner', she couldn't resist the opportunity to check out a band that called itself 'Priss and the Replicants'.

The club that hosted them, 'Hot Legs', the flyer said, turned out to be not too hard to find. It looked just a bit dilapidated to her as she descended the stairs toward it's basement entrance, but she took that with a grain of salt. The Net search she'd run on the way over had revealed that the place had a sterling reputation with the underground crowd, and was haled by some as one of the city's best kept night-life secrets.

She stopped to survey the sea of humanity that filled the club as she came in the door, and as she did so she momentarily had an odd sensation. Her factory upgraded internal coms picked up just a split-second pulse on a high microwave band, a region of the spectrum that most androids of her type were incapable of sensing. A band, she knew, that was used by, among other things, military-grade radar systems.

Jillian stood near the door for a moment longer, considering, and then was hit by the same sensation once more, only much stronger this time. She cocked her head just slightly as she surveyed the crowd, trying to figure out who or what was giving her the once over. But the radar scan only lasted for a little over a second, and that just wasn't enough time to narrow it down. She seriously considered just turning on her heel and walking out then and there, but she thought that might not be such a good idea. Not only would it confirm a number of things for whoever had just scanned her, but it would leave her alone and vulnerable outside as well. Better, for now at least, to stay with the crowd, she thought. And she only hoped no one would want to start any real trouble in a venue this public.

As Akiko came slowly closer to her quarry, she took the opportunity to zoom in and capture a better image of her face. Having done that, she momentarily dove into her encrypted link to the ADP's secure server, which, while always active, had been running in the background until now. Taking the image, she subjected it to her powerful onboard facial recognition software, breaking it down to it's basic points of identification. She then fed this to ANDY 2000, the ADP's mainframe, and let it chew on the data for a few microseconds. In almost no time at all, she had a return.

'Huh!' She thought as she reviewed ANDY's findings. 'The Asakawa case. Damn, I remember that one. And yeah, I can see it. Change the hair from red to blonde, and the eyes from green to that funky violet, and you've got a perfect match for the photo on her factory paperwork. And McNichol thought she never made it out of the sewers. Well, won't old Leon be surprised…'

Jillian continued to scan the crowd as surreptitiously as she could, trying to get some idea of who out there might be after her. At first, she didn't see anyone who really stood out, or, more precisely, no one who stood out more than anyone else in a crowd this eclectic. But, eventually, she began to notice that a small, dark-haired, casually dressed oriental woman slowly seemed to be drifting in her direction, against the flow of the crowd.

Narrowing her attention on this person, it became almost immediately obvious that she was the one. For one thing, she practically glowed in the radio and microwave bands, though whatever data she was transmitting or receiving was so tightly encrypted as to be no more than noise to Jillian. For another, when Jillian shifted to thermal imaging, the woman looked like nothing she'd ever seen before. In most ways, she was very near to human, but there were marked anomalies. By the same token, she didn't look like any boomer that Jillian was familiar with either. And, on top of everything else, Jillian had the feeling that she'd seen the woman's face somewhere before.

Free associating for a moment, Jillian ran a lightening search of her eidetic memory, and quickly came up with a result she didn't like. Seeing an amalgam of a great many news broadcasts and newspaper articles in her mind's eye, she thought, 'SGT Akiko Natomi. The ADP's new Mark II Anti-Boomer Battle Cyborg.' And then, sardonically, 'What, exactly, are the odds of meeting her here tonight? If there really is a higher power, I wonder what, exactly, I've done to irritate him or her so thoroughly.'

Judging by the unwavering stare directed at her, it was only obvious to 'Kiko that the boomer had indeed made her. That being the case, she decided to throw caution to the winds.

Leaving behind her pretense of drifting with the crowd, 'Kiko met the red-head's steady gaze and quickly made her way over. She stopped less than an arm's length away, and, looking up at the slightly taller woman, said, "Jillian, right? Fancy meeting you here. Aren't you supposed to dead? Or maybe I should say 'rendered non-functional' instead."

Jillian cocked her head slightly, and said, "I think I prefer the term 'dead', Officer Natomi," and then, "And I did come very close, for what it's worth. I just happened to get lucky, I suppose you'd say."

"Huh!" Natomi said. "Well, at least it looks like there's no need for introductions. Now, do you feel like doing this the easy way or the hard way? I don't really care, personally."

Frowning, Jillian said, "Do what, exactly, Officer Natomi?"

Shaking her head slowly, 'Kiko said, "Come with me, of course. Do I have to spell this out for you? You've got the legal database that goes with the upgraded security package, right? So you tell me."

Jillian sighed, and said in a small voice, "From a legal standpoint, I'm currently an unlicensed and un-owned cyberdroid. My former owner is deceased, and no one else has claimed ownership, due to the fact that I was presumed destroyed. And, also-"

"Also," Akiko interrupted, "According to Investigator McNichol's report, which I'm damn sure Corporal Romanova ghost-wrote for him, you'd 'developed significant behavioral anomalies indicative of probable AI degradation and/or corruption.' In other words, you were going rogue."

"Officer Natomi," Jillian said in a tight voice, "Did that report go on to describe those 'behavioral anomalies'? Did it mention that the sum total of my so-called insanity was my love for a little girl and the desire to protect her even at the cost of my own life? Or did those details get lost somewhere in the shuffle?"

Natomi sighed, and said, "No, as a matter of fact, they didn't. McNichol or Romanova, or whoever actually wrote the damn report was pretty clear about that. But the conclusion, backed up by the boomer psychologist after the fact, was pretty damned clear too, and I quote: 'Despite the positive nature of the emotions displayed by the BU-33C, behavior of this type clearly lies outside the design parameters of the model in question. Therefore, this leaves no other conclusion than that something had gone seriously wrong with the cyberdroid's AI. Given the inherent unpredictability of damaged cyberdroids, the possibility that far more serious and violent behavioral problems would have developed if the BU-33C had continued to function cannot be ruled out.' End quote. Not much else to say, now is there?"

"So that's it then?" Jillian said in a sullen tone. "You're simply going to impound me for destruction? Or would you prefer a summary execution here on the spot? If you're wondering, I won't put up a fight. I don't want to see anyone here hurt any more than you do, whether you believe that or not."

'Kiko sighed, and said, "As a matter of fact, I do believe it. But it doesn't change anything. If I let you walk out of here and somebody ended up hurt or dead because of that down the road, who's fault would it be? I'll be damned if I'll let that happen."

As Jillian was formulating a reply for this, there was a crash outside the front door of the club loud enough to be heard over Priss's wrap-up encore of 'Konya Wa Hurricane'. The band and the crowd abruptly fell silent, and all eyes turned toward the club's entrance, just in time to see the front door and doorframe practically explode inwards.

Everyone remained silent for a moment more, shocked, as they beheld the hulking, brown, metallic figure that filled the ragged hole that now marked the club's entrance. They stared in horrified fascination as it slowly cocked it's oblong, t-shaped head from side to side, apparently surveying the target rich environment in front of it. And then, as it slowly raised the massive 20mm auto-cannon that stood in place of it's right forearm, the screaming began.

_Well, that's it for today's installment, and how's that for a cliffhanger? Hopefully your interest is piqued, because chapter 4, 'Death, Life, and Questions' will be coming soon._


	4. Death, Life and Questions

_Here's chapter 4, and there's a lot wrapped into this one. Enjoy!_

Before it even started firing, the panic was underway. A human wave fought to push it's way back away from the battle-rated killing machine in front of them, bowling over and trampling anyone not fast or strong enough to keep up. And when the rounds finally started to fly, it only got worse. Bodies were torn asunder by bullets that were intended to destroy light armored vehicles, and blood and chunks of gore rained down over the crowd.

But even as this occurred, 'Kiko was already moving. She'd been behind most of the crowd, near the bar, and so had to make her way forward. Rather than fight her way through, she leapt from table to table, clearing more than ten meters at a bound. She spared just a quick glance around the room as she moved, trying to see if her friends were safe.

Thankfully, she saw that Hall had thrown Nene over his shoulder, and was quickly pushing his way back toward the stage entrance, Earth Shaker drawn and ready just in case. And, on stage, she saw Priss and her band members dive for the floor, trying to stay as low as possible while crawling for the same exit.

By this time, 'Kiko was almost on top of her opponent, and she wasted no time getting it's attention. "Hey! Hey, you ugly son-of-a-bitch!" She yelled as she made a final leap toward it, both wrist blades extending with a snap. She hoped desperately that it would concentrate on her instead of the crowd, and in this she was spectacularly correct.

As she flew through the air toward it, the battle boomer shifted it's aim and pummeled her with 20mm fire. Normally, she would have done her best to twist out of the way, but she knew that if she did, someone far less resilient than her would be left to suck up those rounds. And so she deliberately took the entire volley herself.

She screamed as the hail of rounds slammed into her, blowing her back like a leaf snatched up by a winter gale and shredding the fragile cotton dress she wore. She went tumbling to the floor and was rolled back further by a stream of bullets like water from a fire hose. But, as painful as the attack was, her internals let her know that little real damage was being done to her. Somewhere inside herself, she was vaguely amazed and just a little bit frightened by how tough her new body really was.

Finally the agonizing rain of lead ceased, and Natomi thought, 'Thank God! Finally out of rounds!' With that, she rolled quickly to her feet, and, squaring off with the hulking cyberdroid, said, "Ok, you big bastard! What've you got now?"

As if in answer, both of the twin lenses on the oblong sections of it's head, which her internals had tentatively identified as auxiliary sensing equipment, swiveled in toward her and abruptly lit up with actinic laser light. She was taken completely by surprise as the multi-megawatt beams converged and criss-crossed over her midriff, slicing cleanly into and through her inhumanly tough flesh.

A wave of agony so intense that it was almost immediately shut off by her internals washed over her, and without even knowing how she got there, she found herself crumpled to the floor. Multiple fault indicators screamed at her, and red lights filled her vision, all but obscuring the message that she'd just very nearly been cut in half. And while a part of her certainly was in shock, the rest of her continued to act with mechanical precision.

Slapping one arm over her abdomen to hold in anything that might otherwise decide to spill out, she rolled to her side, raised her other hand and, without even bothering to sight in, unloaded with her gravimetric blaster. There was a sharp crack as air molecules were violently compressed by the wave of distorted space-time that passed between Natomi and her target. The boomer was struck squarely in the chest by the blast, and there was a loud snap as it's heavy Abotex and composite carapace was cracked. The force of the impact was incredible as well, and even as massive as it was, the hulking cyberdroid was picked up and thrown back four or five meters, slamming into and almost through the wall next to what had been the front door. But the damage it took was relatively minor for a boomer built as tough as it was, and it immediately got back up for more.

Natomi too regained her feet, still clutching her deeply lacerated abdomen with her left arm, blood as red as any other person's leaking out over it. Critical system alerts continued to blare at her, and her head felt almost as if it were floating like a balloon somewhere above her ravaged body. She knew that she was perilously close to an involuntary shut-down, with her redundant systems' waning resources devoted almost entirely to simply keeping her alive. She had very little left to fight with, and thought that she just might have enough in reserve to get off one more gravimetric blast before passing out. That being the case, she knew she'd have to make it count.

Circling warily, she scanned the boomer with every sensing system she had. Much to her dismay, she found no positive matches in her data base, though the BU-12B was the closest. But, from what she could tell, this thing was a lot tougher than a standard 12B. It figured. Sighing mentally, she invoked a rarely used piece of experimental software she'd been fitted with, a program that tore through all the data she was gathering on the boomer, looking for any possible chink or weak spot. It was an expert system, purpose designed to find faults in military-grade hardware, and she was sure it would find something. But the damned thing took time. Time that she most likely didn't have.

As the fault-finding software ran, she kept a wary eye on the twin laser lenses on either side of the boomer's armored head. One more hit from one of those would finish her, she knew, and her mobility, usually her greatest advantage, had been severely compromised.

For it's part, the boomer seemed to be studying her as well. It wasn't sentient, she knew, as the BU-55's and some of the other covert combat models were. But that didn't mean that it wasn't intelligent in it's own way, cunning in the manner of a top-of-the-food-chain predator. She supposed that it was re-evaluating her in light of her survival of it's earlier attacks, and the damaging counter-attack she'd inflicted upon it, looking for a more optimal method of engagement. And then, suddenly, it simply lunged at her, slamming it's armored fist into her injured solar plexus before her dulled reflexes and sluggish systems could react.

There was no pain this time as her internals had already cut sensation from her abdominal region. Instead, it was almost as if a flash bulb had gone off right in her face; the disruption to her systems was that intense. In fact, the blow must have rendered her insensible for a split second, she realized, as she suddenly found herself airborne with no recollection of ever leaving the floor.

Curled around her savaged midsection, she flew the entire length of the bar, propelled by the battle boomer's immense strength. Normally, she'd have twisted in mid-air like a cat to land in as favorable a posture as possible. But, more than half dead as she was, she just sailed limply through the air, crashing through the drum set and sound equipment on the stage and rolling to a stop against the back wall with a resounding thud.

She just lay there for a moment, utterly stunned, seeing nothing but red shot through with tiny black motes. She had no breath left in her body, and couldn't seem to draw any either. Fleetingly, she tried to make sense of her body's condition through her internals, but there was such a clutter of back-logged error and critical failure messages that this proved futile. Finally, with a gasp and a moan, she was able to force her unresponsive body over and up onto her knees, just in time to see death coming for her.

The battle boomer had engaged it's flight system, wreaking havoc with everything near it in the bar's enclosed space, and was rapidly skimming toward her, laser lenses glowing in a pre-firing warm-up. On stage, 'Kiko gritted her teeth defiantly, a trickle of artificial blood making it's way down her chin, and tried desperately to raise her shaking arm up into a firing position. She could see that she wasn't going to make it.

But then, just before it reached the stage, there was a flicker of movement from behind the bar. A small, feminine hand, sporting twenty centimeter claws, popped up, a familiar face framed in flaming red hair behind it. As 'Kiko watched in amazement, Jillian fired off a salvo of five hypervelocity nails, catching the battle-rated model all up and down it's back and legs.

While this had little effect, barely even scratching the armored killing-machine's thick metallic hide, it most certainly served to draw it's attention away from 'Kiko, at least momentarily. It swiveled around in mid-air, breaking it's headlong rush toward the stage, and unloaded with it's twin lasers on the bar.

'Kiko noted distantly that this boomer must have one hell of a power plant on board, because instead of capacitor-pumped pulsed laser fire, it was pumping out a continuous beam of deadly coherent light. It played this lethal wand of incandescence up and down the length of the bar, cutting it and, most likely, anything behind it to shreds.

Taking advantage of the distraction, 'Kiko re-invoked her fault-finding software, which picked up where it'd left off. Luckily for her, it quickly came up with a result.

In her field of vision, a small section at the base of the boomer's spine was suddenly highlighted, and a targeting reticule flared to life over it. She smiled a predatory smile, and with a yell she sent the firing impulse down her arm. Once again, space was violently bent by the esoteric hardware inside her, and a collimated shockwave made it's way from her hand to strike the boomer full force in the vunerable area she'd targeted.

The boomer's armor plate, in this one area slightly weaker than in any other, shattered upon impact, exposing delicate components and tissues beneath. Unfortunately, as she pitched over onto her side, totally spent, 'Kiko was able to see that, in her weakened state, she just hadn't been able to hit quite hard enough. The boomer was still functional.

With a screech of inhuman pain, it whirled around to face her again and immediately jetted in her direction. In her mind, as it came for her, she thought, 'So close. Damn it, it was so close.' But no matter how she struggled, her body refused to respond. She could only lay, eyes open and staring, as it drew nearer and finally set foot next to her. She screamed mutely in frustration as it lifted up an oversized metallic foot, intending to crush and grind her into oblivion. But before it could, there was yet another interruption.

With a primal yell, Hall came running from the stage door, Earth Shaker still in hand, and before the unprepared cyberdroid could react, he sprang upon it. Having never anticipated such a tactic from an unarmored and un-augmented human being, the boomer was momentarily at a loss. It shook it's massive head back and forth, trying to dislodge the mite on it's back, but Hall managed to hang on through sheer meanness.

Taking a firm hold with one arm, he forced his gun hand up, ramming the Earth Shaker into the gaping hole left by 'Kiko's grav-blaster. Gritting his teeth, he jerked the trigger spasmodically, unloading all three of the sixty-five caliber armor piercers into the boomer's unprotected innards. With a shrill, animal shriek and a gout of orange pseudo-blood, the boomer arched backwards and collapsed, thrashing wildly before finally becoming still.

Hall managed to leap and then roll clear, narrowly avoiding both the boomer's falling bulk and it's death throes. As he came up to a knee, he almost instinctively cracked the Earth Shaker open, slapped three more rounds from his pocket into the cylinder, and, snapping it closed again, leveled it at the now weakly twitching battle boomer. After a few seconds, satisfied that the armored giant really was down for the count, he jumped up and sprinted the few meters to his fallen partner.

"'Kiko?" He said in a concerned voice as he knelt down beside her. "'Kiko, can you hear me? It's me, Hall."

When there was no immediate response, Hall feared the worst, and justifiably so. Just a cursory glance revealed the massive scope of her injuries; the deep bruises all over her body, the bloody slash across her stomach that looked as though it had cut almost to her spine, and the unidentifiable but all too human-looking viscera now protruding from that wound, not to mention the synthetic blood that stained her lips and chin. These, combined with Akiko's staring eyes and blank expression all but convinced Hall that he'd managed to loose a partner on their first night together. 'Christ,' was his only bitter thought.

But then, with a whimper, 'Kiko stirred just slightly, eyelids fluttering, and said in a bare whisper, "S' Ok. We… did it… Hall."

"Yeah, we did," he agreed softly, and then said, "But right now, you should probably just rest while I get some help in here. And don't you damn drift away on me either, Natomi. That's an order, in case you're wondering."

She just smiled softly, and said, "Don't worry about me, partner. They built me tough. What's the old saying? 'Take a lickin' and keep on tick-?' Ah!"

She winced suddenly as some miscellaneous pain lanced through her, and Hall said, "Yeah, I can see that, but don't push it, 'Kiko. Just be still." With that, he reached into his jacket and withdrew a compact cell phone. He hit a particular number on the speed dial, and waited for the automated response. "Emergency services; police, fire, medical, or Advanced Police?"

Hall cut in immediately with, "Police emergency, ID Hall, Ryan Patrick, ADP 114. Connect me to ADP dispatch now."

After a brief pause, the voice on the other end said, "ID accepted. Connecting you now, Officer Hall." There was a click, and a single ring, and then another voice, familiar to Hall, came on the line. "ADP emergency, this is-"

"Naoko!" Hall interrupted sharply, "Don't talk, just listen. In case you hadn't figured it out, this is Hall, and I got a situation here at a club called 'Hot Legs'. Yeah, it's the place Leon and Nene like so much. Don't worry about that shit now! I got an officer down here, for Christ's sake! It's 'Kiko! Yeah, SGT Natomi! What put her down! How about a full battle-rated goddamn boomer! Yeah, she's tore up pretty bad. No, I don't give a shit what you tell the chief, just roll the Cytech contact team and a clean-up crew NOW! And get a regular medical unit over here too; we got a bunch of civilians down on top of everything else. Got it? Good!"

As Hall hit the end key, he heard the stage door open behind him, and, turning, he saw both Priss and Nene come rushing through. He noted absently that Priss had a hand pressed to her left shoulder, and blood was seeping between her fingers, making it's way down her arm in thin rivulets. 'Shit,' Hall thought, 'Bastard must've winged her. Couldn't have been more than a graze, though. Her arm's still attached.'

Seeing the tableau on stage, both women's eyes widened, and Nene said, "Oh, my-! Is she-?"

Hall shook his head slowly, and said, "Naw, she's still with us. She's just like me; too damn mean to die." And then, frowning, he said, "Can't say the same for some of the other folks in here though. Speaking of which, Corporal Romanova, you and I need to start checking around the room for survivors. EMT's are on the way, but if we can find anybody who needs it, we need to start first aid. Might make the difference between some poor bastard making it and not."

"What about her?" Priss said, pointing toward 'Kiko with her injured arm. "You're not just gonna leave her laying there by herself, are you?"

Hall sighed, and, looking at 'Kiko and then back to Priss said, "How bad's your shoulder?"

Priss frowned, and said, "I've had worse. Why?"

"Because you're right," Hall said slowly. "Somebody needs to stay here and make sure she hangs on. There's not a damn thing to be done medical-wise, not until the Cytech team gets here. But a friendly face and voice sure as hell can't hurt anything. And as much as I'd rather it be me, Romanova and I have other shit to keep us busy. So, in short, can you help out?"

"Shit, of course." Priss said, climbing onto the wrecked stage. And then, in a tone of frustrated anger, she added, "It's not like there's anything else I can do right now. Son of a bitch, this place is a mess!" Finally, kicking the downed boomer spitefully as she passed, Priss muttered, "Stupid bastard. I only wish somebody could kick your ass again. Once just wasn't enough for all of this."

Hall grunted in agreement, and, once Priss had taken his place, jumped down to join Nene, who'd already started the search for survivors.

"Hey," Priss said softly, taking one of 'Kiko's limp hands in hers.

Smiling weakly, Natomi opened her eyes slowly, and said, "Hey, yourself." And then, her smile turning mischievous, she whispered, "If you still feel like kicking my ass, now's probably the time. Playing field's pretty level right now, I'd say."

Priss just shook her head, and around a tightness in her throat said, "I'll wait until you're better. It'll make things a lot more interesting."

"It is kind of funny though," 'Kiko said slowly. "Just an hour or so ago, we were ready to throw down. Now you're here holding my hand. Who'd have thought, huh?"

"We got to know each other a little, that's all." Priss said quietly. "And I'd like the chance to get to know you better. So do me a favor, huh? Don't die on me. Too many of my friends have done that already. And if nothing else, hold on for your little girl. You don't want to leave Maiume hanging, do you?"

'Kiko frowned at this, and said, "I'll make it, Priss. Don't worry about that. You remember that line from 'Robocop'? Right toward the end, when Lewis is all shot up and she tells Murphy that she's a mess?"

Priss smiled, and said, "Yeah, I remember that one. He told her, 'Don't worry, they'll fix you. They fix everything.'"

'Kiko nodded weakly, and said, "Same applies to me, I'm sure." And then, grinning again, she whispered, "Hell, who knows? Maybe they'll even throw in some upgrades."

Out on the floor, Hall and Nene slowly made their way around the room, searching the ruined club for survivors. Nene felt her gorge slowly rising as she made her way from one shattered body to another, trying desperately not to think about some of the things she felt squishing wetly underfoot. It appeared the boomer had done it's work well, and that the club's patrons had been neatly divided into two groups; those who'd escaped, and those who'd died.

As she worked her way toward the remains of the bar, she heard from behind her, "Huh! Got a live one here, Romanova, so don't give up. There might be more."

She nodded absently, mostly in shock by now. She still couldn't believe how quickly disaster had struck, turning what was supposed to be just a fun night out after work into a scene from a horror movie. Even after everything she'd seen as a Knight Saber, and after some of the odd adventures she'd had of late, nothing had prepared her for this. She only thanked God that, as an ADP operator, she wasn't normally the one who had to deal with this kind of thing. She had no idea how the line troopers coped with scenes like this one day in and day out without slowly losing their minds. And the fact that the slaughterhouse she was walking through had been, up until a few minutes ago, a familiar and safe place, filled with happy memories of time spent with her friends, only made matters worse.

Nene's disturbing line of thought was interrupted then by a small sound from behind the demolished bar. Snapped back to reality, Nene hurried over, and, looking behind the wreckage, found a single prone female form. The red-headed woman lay on her side, clutching her badly lacerated and burned right thigh, and as Nene approached, she looked up. There seemed to be something familiar about her, Nene thought, and then the woman spoke, confirming her feeling. "Officer Romanova," she said in a voice that Nene recognized. "I certainly hadn't expected to meet you here. But then, all sorts of unexpected things seem to be happening tonight, don't they?"

Eyes widening, Nene said, "Jillian! What are you-?" And then, as all of the implications of Jillian's presence hit her, Nene whispered, "Oh, crap!"

Jillian nodded slowly, and said, "I think that sums up the situation very eloquently, all things considered."

From where he sat, having finally stopped the bleeding from the stump of a hapless victim's severed arm with a tourniquet, Hall saw that something wasn't quite right with Nene. She'd gone behind what was left of the bar, presumably having found a survivor, but now she was just standing there, looking shocked.

"What the hell've you got there, Romanova?" He called out. "Live one or just a helluva mess?"

Oddly, Nene licked her lips nervously, and said, "Umm, it's complicated. I- It's- That is- Well, like I said, it's complicated."

Frowning, Hall stood and headed over, wondering what the hell the ditzy red-head was talking about. Coming around the end of the bar, he saw the woman 'Kiko had fingered right before all hell broke loose, and, with a surprised, "Shit!" whipped out and leveled his Earth Shaker.

"Get the hell back, Romanova!" He yelled. "She's a boomer!"

"I know that, SGT Hall," Nene said quietly.

"You do?" He said in a bewildered tone.

From the floor, Jillian said, "Officer Romanova and I have met before. She and Officer McNichol helped me and a friend of mine out of a… rather difficult situation once."

Even more puzzled now, Hall said, "Ok, I guess I missed a turn somewhere on the way down here and ended up in the friggin' Twilight Zone without realizing it. At any rate, and correct me if I'm wrong, I'm looking at a BU-33C here who's out for a little night on the town all by herself. And last time I checked, boomers weren't allowed to just run around loose. That about sum things up here?"

Sighing, Jillian said, "Unfortunately, I think it does, officer. Your partner and I already had this discussion, by the way."

"Huh!" Hall said, a little surprised. "If that's the case, then why the hell didn't you bolt when all hell broke loose? That would've been your best bet."

"Two reasons, officer," Jillian said. "One, it would've been difficult, to say the least, to get past that battle boomer. You see how well some of the other customers fared. And two, I thought that, just maybe, I'd be able to help in some way. I'm not foolish enough to think that I could've taken on that battle-rated monster, but I thought I might be able to do something."

Hall frowned, and said, "Let me get this straight. You were willing to hang here on the off chance that you'd be able to help out? Why the hell would you care? I've never run into a 33C that gave much of a shit about anybody but it's principle and just maybe itself. What makes you different?"

Nene sighed, and said, "If you want the whole story, read the case file on the Asakawa murder from last November. It pretty much says everything."

Hall suddenly snapped his fingers, and said, "The Asakawa case! Shit! I don't need to read it, I was there. My squad was first on the ground, and 'Kiko was with us! Yeah, I get it now. McNichol told me how things turned out." And then, frowning again, he added, "But he said the boomer never made it out of the sewers. Said she stayed down there with a couple of the Knight Sabers to fight off some combat boomers that'd been sent after them, and didn't make it. Huh! Guess the Sabers didn't tell McNichol the straight shit after all."

"I guess not," Nene said nervously, desperately not wanting Hall to find out the real story. If it got out that Leon had knowingly let Priss and Linna remove the non-functional boomer's body from the scene, and that Nene had kept her mouth shut about it, there could be hell to pay. At least she was sure that Jillian wouldn't say anything to give them away.

Hall exhaled loudly, and then said, "Well, this sure opens up a can of worms." Addressing Jillian, he said, "So. You know where things have to go now, right?"

"As I said, officer, I already had this conversation with your partner. You plan on impounding me now, after which I'll be deactivated and dismantled. Does that about sum it up?"

Hall nodded slowly, and said, "Yeah, that's about it. Guess you should've made a break for it when you could."

Then, from the stage, 'Kiko's voice came to them weakly. "Hall," she said, straining to make herself heard.

"What is it, 'Kiko?" He called over his shoulder.

"She saved my life, Hall. When the battle boomer punched me in the gut, it would've finished me if she hadn't distracted it. That's how I was able to get off that last shot. When it turned to nail her, I nailed it instead. We never would've put it down if she hadn't helped, and if it'd skragged me, hell only knows how much damage it would've done before somebody finally managed to stop it."

"Ah, Christ," Hall said tiredly. "Shit can't ever just be simple, can it? So what the hell do you want me to do? Just turn my back and let her walk?"

"No," 'Kiko said in a bare whisper, "Can't do that. Wouldn't work anyway; hear the sirens? Backup's just about to roll up out front."

"So what do you want me to do, 'Kiko?" he said quietly.

"Just- Just make sure they don't take her apart first thing. There has to be some other way, something else that can be done. Just make sure that there's time to find out what."

Hall sighed loudly, and said, "Ok, I think I can make that happen. But I'll be damned if I know where this is gonna end up."

What no one saw, up on the stage, was the odd expression on Priss's face as she listened to them discussing Jillian's fate and wondered if what she and Linna had done was about to end up counting for nothing at all.

_That's it for chapter 4. Please review and let me know what you think._


	5. Old Nightmares, New Realities

_Well, it's been awhile since I last updated, but, once again, only a couple of people seem interested. Thanks to Mats Forsen for your kind comments, and I hope that anyone who's still reading this is enjoying._

Back at Cytech Enterprises, Dr. Nakatomi was once more at his desk, the phone window open again. On the other end, once again, was Ms. Madigan. She wore an expression of mild satisfaction as she said, "Well, Doctor, I think we can call tonight's test a success, though there were some decidedly unexpected factors involved. Your impressions?"

Nodding thoughtfully, Dr. Nakatomi said, "I think that's a fair assessment of things, Ms. Madigan. Generally, Ms. Natomi fared rather poorly against the BU-22X, but we were able to gather an excellent appraisal of her combat chassis's overall survivability at least. And she provided a rather telling field test for the largely untried fault-finding software. Now we know that, while effective, the program is simply too slow. We need to re-evaluate it from the base code up before we consider a production release, obviously."

Ms. Madigan nodded as well and said, "My thoughts exactly. And, of course, we now have a much clearer picture of how the BU-22 performs under field conditions. A few more tweaks, and a quick retrofit to fix that bothersome soft spot Ms. Natomi so kindly pointed out for us, and I believe it might just be ready for a limited production run. And another round of field testing, of course."

Dr. Nakatomi smiled coldly, and said, "And I'm certain that Ms. Natomi will be up to the challenge when the time comes. I have a few… improvements to incorporate once I put her back together. Which I should do soon, I suppose. After all, our contact team is competent to stabilize her, and even begin the recovery process, but they lack my… expertise in this area. I wouldn't feel comfortable with anyone other than myself overseeing the process."

Pursing her lips thoughtfully, Ms. Madigan said, "I'll defer to your judgment on that matter, Doctor." And then, frowning just slightly, she said, "But tell me, what are your impressions of the collateral factors involved with the test tonight? The partner, and that rogue android who just happened to show up. How far do you think they skewed our results? And in what directions?"

Pausing thoughtfully, the doctor finally said, "Well, certainly they played a key roll in her survival. Without the android's timely distraction or her partner's suicidal attack on the BU-22X, she'd have been a complete loss. But I don't think they affected our basic assessment significantly. The root cause of Ms. Natomi's less than stellar performance was two-fold. First, her primary concern seemed to be preventing further civilian casualties, rather than taking down the BU-22, which is entirely understandable, given her personality and background. And, second, there was the distressing failure on the part of her threat-assessment software to properly identify all of the BU-22's offensive capabilities. I'm truly dismayed that the program mistook the BU-22's high-output twin laser assembly for an auxiliary sensing system. I'll have to have a long… talk with the programmer responsible, I'm afraid. And that will most certainly be one of the first software upgrades I install, rest assured."

"Very good then, Dr. Nakatomi," Ms. Madigan said slowly. "I think we've just about covered everything, unless there's anything else you'd like to add."

Shaking his head slowly, Dr. Nakatomi said, "No, I think that's about it, other than to say that, by my preliminary estimates, I would expect Ms. Natomi to be ready for another iteration in, oh, perhaps a week. But certainly no sooner. Her physical recovery won't take nearly that long, but I suspect she'll need a bit more time to…reacquire the right frame of mind, shall we say."

"Once again, I'll defer to your judgment, Doctor. Just let me know immediately if there are any changes on your end."

Smiling once more, the doctor said, "But of course, Ms. Madigan. But of course."

With that, he cut the connection, and, standing, headed out to gather the equipment he knew he'd soon need.

Without knowing how she got there, Akiko found herself sitting on the narrow, utilitarian sofa in the small cubicle that passed for a living room in her ADP tower suite. As she looked around curiously, trying to remember what chain of events had brought her there, the front door opened quietly, and Dr. Kenjiro Nakatomi walked in. There was a warm smile on his lips, but the warmth didn't reach his eyes, which were as cold and hard as two chips of ice.

Standing just inside the door, which was still cracked, he said, "Akiko. So good to see you again. And I've brought a visitor for you."

As he opened the door just a bit wider, she saw a tiny, familiar dark-haired figure poke it's head around, staring at her with solemn brown eyes. "Mommy?" The little girl said tentatively.

A radiant smile lit 'Kiko's face, and, jumping up, she said, "Maiume!"

"Mommy!" The little girl repeated, emphatically this time, and ran toward 'Kiko, who knelt down with outstretched arms.

As Maiume flew into her arms, 'Kiko lifted her up and spun her around, laughing and hugging her fiercely. But then suddenly, she started to squirm, and yelled, "Ah! Mommy, you're hurting me!" Before 'Kiko could properly register this, she heard a sort of wet snap and felt something in Maiume's body give way. With a small cry she went limp in 'Kiko's arms, a tiny trickle of blood running from the corner of her mouth.

A kind of numbness washed over 'Kiko then, and a wave of nausea so intense she almost threw up then and there. Collapsing to her knees, she cradled the little girl's broken body in her arms, and, vision blurred by hot tears, said in a tiny, broken voice, "Maiume? Oh, God, Maiume!"

Standing suddenly beside her, Dr. Nakatomi just shook his head reprovingly, and said, "Now, Ms. Natomi. Didn't I warn you about becoming over-excited? I told you, always check to ensure those safety interlocks are engaged before handling anything fragile, but did you listen? Apparently not."

Looking up beseechingly, she said, "But Maiume! For the love of God, help her!"

The doctor just shook his head again, and said, "Oh, it's too late for that, I'm afraid." And, suddenly holding a clip board that 'Kiko hadn't noticed before, Dr. Nakatomi began to scribble methodically, saying, "No, I'm afraid you've done very poorly on this test, Ms. Natomi. Not satisfactory at all. In fact, I believe we're going to have to start all over at the…"

He continued to drone on in a monotone, his words lost to Akiko as she held Maiume's limp form in her arms. Sobbing now in raw anguish and remorse, she threw her head back and screamed, "MAIUME!" And then she awoke.

"MAIUME!" Akiko screamed, sitting bolt upright in the hospital-style bed, eyes wide open and staring.

"Jesus Christ!" Hall exclaimed, startled almost out of the chair he'd been half-dozing on. And then, seeing 'Kiko's wild-eyed expression, an equal mix of confusion and panic, he stood quickly and reached to put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, easy partner," he said soothingly. "You're safe now. You made it."

She blinked hard once and shook her head, and then, looking to Hall said dazedly, "Hall? Then- Then it was only a dream."

Frowning, Hall said slowly, "What was only a dream, 'Kiko?"

But instead of answering, she only stared at Hall for a moment more. Then, suddenly, her eyes filled with tears and with a ragged sob she reached for him, throwing her arms around his neck. "Oh, God, Hall!" was all she managed to get out before her sobs overwhelmed her voice, and she just clung to him, her tears slowly soaking his shoulder.

For his part, Hall was utterly shocked at first, and just stood there. But, once his surprise wore off, he hesitantly put his arms around 'Kiko and finally just held her until she'd cried herself out.

Eventually, her sobs wound down to quiet sniffles, and then ceased entirely. Releasing her hold on Hall, she drew back and looked at him sheepishly. "Well, I guess this shoots my 'super-cop' image all to hell," she said quietly.

Hall just grinned good-naturedly and said, "Naw, even a super-cop is entitled to a good cry every once in a while. Especially after the shit you just went through." And then, sitting down once more, he said, "So what was that all about, anyhow? Bad dream?"

'Kiko shuddered, and nodded slowly. "The worst." She said in a tiny voice.

Hall nodded slowly, and said, "Well, I can understand if you don't want to talk about it-"

"It was a dream about Maiume," 'Kiko said quietly. "Or, more to the point, a dream about me accidentally killing Maiume. With Dr. Nakatomi critiquing and taking notes, no less."

"Damn," Hall said slowly, "That's rough."

"Tell me about it," she replied sullenly. Then, after a moment's silence, she said, "So what ended up happening? At the club, I mean. I don't remember much after the contact team got there. I think they must've whacked me up on the electronic equivalent of morphine or something."

"Huh!" Hall said. "You're probably about right, there. You were pretty messed up, if you remember."

"Yeah," 'Kiko said absently, "I remember. Speaking of which, how long- no, never mind, I can answer that question myself." And, consulting her internal chronometer, constantly synched to Net time, she said, "Three days. Christ, I've been out for three days? What the hell have I missed?"

Hall sighed, and said, "A bunch of shit, actually. For starts, you spent the first day and a half over at Cytech, getting worked over in their facilities. From what I understand, that old gargoyle Nakatomi oversaw everything himself, actually got his hands dirty, too, I guess. The techs who brought you back here to the infirmary said it was touch and go for a while, but the old bastard pulled you through. Matter of fact, they said something about him coming by later. Said he had some upgrades to explain to you or some shit."

'Kiko rolled her eyes, and said, "It figures. And here I thought I was just kidding when I told Priss that crap."

Frowning in puzzlement, Hall said, "Well, I don't know anything about that, but I suppose Nakatomi'll be by any time. He probably knew to the minute when you'd wake up."

'Kiko shuddered just slightly, and said, "I don't trust him, Hall. I never really have. There's something just not right about Dr. Nakatomi, and I've known it since I first heard his voice in that damned VR sim they used to rehabilitate me after the accident. He acts like he cares, but I think all he really cares about is seeing how his modern day Frankenstein performs."

Still frowning, now in annoyance, Hall said, "You shouldn't talk about yourself like that, 'Kiko. You're not a monster. If anything, you're a hero. There's a lot of people alive today who wouldn't be if you weren't around."

Akiko sighed, and said, "Maybe, Hall. But that doesn't really change the way I feel. I mean, for God's sake! I faced off with a damn battle-boomer, practically in my skivvies, and lived to tell about it! I just shrugged off a couple of hundred 20mm rounds and then survived being cut nearly in half! And now, three days later, I'm as good as new? Or, considering Dr. Nakatomi's 'upgrades', even better than before? Just how human does that make me, Hall? And if I'm not human, then what the hell am I?"

'Ah, shit,' Hall thought tiredly. 'Five'll get you ten that Fanward was asking himself some of the same damn questions toward the end. Christ, she can't be headed down the same road he was, can she? I sure as hell hope not. For a lot of reasons.'

Aloud, he said, "Look, 'Kiko, you can beat yourself to death with shit like this, but in the end what the hell good is it going to do you? I think Popeye said it best; I yam what I yam. And that's about all any of us can really say, 'Kiko. We are what we are. And I'll tell you this much; I've never seen a machine reduced to tears by a nightmare. Right now, you're still as human as you ever were on the inside. But if you let this keep eating at you, you might not stay that way. And as little as you want to hear it, I have to tell ya'. That's what happened to Fanward. He stopped believing in his own humanity, and after that… well, it was all down hill from there. For God's sake, 'Kiko, don't follow in that poor bastard's footsteps." And then, seeing the sudden repressed grin on Akiko's face, not to mention the giggles she was obviously holding in check by sheer willpower, Hall frowned again and said, "What the hell is so damn funny, Natomi?"

"I yam what I yam?" She said, barely keeping a straight face. "Are you waxing philosophical on me, Hall? I didn't know you had it in you."

Hall rolled his eyes skyward, and said, "Oh, sure, blow me off! It's not like I'm trying to say something important here, or anything."

'Kiko sighed, and said, "Hall. Patrick. I got what you were saying. And- it does make sense. I want to believe I'm still a human being somewhere inside of here, but it's just not easy. Everything I see, everything I do, and more and more everything I hear from other people just makes it harder and harder. But- you're right about one thing, I guess. Whether I'm human or not, it doesn't mean I have to end up a monster. It just means that I- need to redefine myself. Figure out how I actually fit into the world now. And that means letting go of all the pretenses, I'm afraid."

With a sudden cold feeling in the pit of his stomach, Hall said carefully, "What exactly does 'letting go of the pretenses' mean, 'Kiko?"

"It means," she said slowly, "waking up and realizing that everything isn't just going to go back to 'normal' someday. I guess that's what I've had in the back of my mind until now. That once the probationary period was over, I'd just somehow be able to waltz back into my old life. That I'd be able to move back in with Maiume and go back to the ADP being just a job. But that's not going to happen, Hall. Things will never be the same between Maiume and me. Not only am I almost afraid to touch her now, but legally, there's no way I'd ever be given custody back. You heard the chief. I have no legal rights. No legal identity. The best I'd ever be able to hope for is liberal visitation rights, and she deserves more than that. How is she ever going to get on with her life if her dead mother keeps dropping by between boomer calls?"

Frowning again, Hall said, a little too loudly, "Christ, 'Kiko, what the hell are you saying?"

"I'm saying," 'Kiko said quietly. "That I need to just accept things as they are and move on. Akiko Natomi died four months ago. She, along with all her concerns, needs to be laid to rest so that I, and Maiume, can move forward. I have a new life, and the ADP is it, Hall. Maiume needs the chance for a new life too, and I don't think I can be a part of it."

"Goddamn it!" Hall exclaimed, startling Akiko as he slammed his fist into the wall beside the bed. "'Kiko, you're just spooked by that damn dream you had! Get over it! I know you well enough to know that there's no way in hell you'd ever hurt your own daughter, and you'd damn well know it too if you'd knock off this self-pitying bullshit for a minute or two!"

'Kiko just sighed and said, "That's not it, Hall. I know it was only a dream, and of course I'd never hurt Maiume physically. But emotionally… I just want her to be able to have a normal life. She'd never have that with me. My life isn't normal, and never will be again. And that's not self-pity; it's reality."

Hall exhaled loudly, and then said, "If that's the way you see it, there's no point in arguing any more, I guess. But I'm pretty damn sure you're gonna change your mind eventually, 'Kiko."

She shrugged, and said, "Who knows? But right now…" And then, frowning, she abruptly changed the subject. "Hey! So what else has been going on while I was out? What happened with-"

"With the android?" Hall finished for her.

"Yeah," 'Kiko said. "With her."

"She's here," Hall said slowly. "Down in a holding cell in impound. I was able to stall things off by reminding everybody that, technically, she's the property of Asakawa's daughter now, held in trust by her grandpa. That, and the fact that she didn't put up a fight, was enough to keep them from deactivating her until they got a hold of Asakawa anyway."

"And?" 'Kiko said.

"And now things are up in the air. From what I understand, the little girl managed to convince her grandpa somewhere along the line that she wouldn't be breathin' right now if it hadn't of been for that boomer, which is pretty much true. Now he's filed to reclaim her, but-"

"But there's still the issue about her 'behavioral irregularities'," 'Kiko finished quietly.

Hall nodded slowly, and said, "Yeah. Chief won't allow her release until the boomer psychologist does his thing, and you know what he's gonna say. Old Man Asakawa obviously does too, and it looks like he's warming up for a fight of some kind. Rumor is, he's been calling up some of his old Diet buddies; testing the waters and shit, so to speak. Either way, he's made no secret of the fact that he's got an injunction already set up, just waiting to stop a destruction order as soon as it's issued. Shit's gonna get damn interesting before this one's through."

'Kiko frowned, and said, "What exactly is Asakawa aiming to do, Hall? Once they slap a 'rogue' label on her, that's basically it. It doesn't matter who she belongs to after that. They have carte blanche to take her apart, and as far as I know, there's no legal recourse."

"Well," Hall said slowly, "I think that's just what the old man has in mind. I think he's lookin' to MAKE a legal recourse."

'Kiko's eyes widened, and she said, "Christ. And he just might be able to do it, with the connections he has. My God, Hall, we could be looking at a test case here; something that could be used to force a re-examination of boomer and boomeroid legislation. This could be big. Really big."

Hall nodded, and said, "You got that right. And you're not the only one to figure that out, let me tell you. There's a lot of shit coming out of the woodwork around here over this…"

'Kiko frowned again, and said, "What do you mean, 'coming out of the woodwork'?"

Hall sighed, and said, "You know the score. It didn't take the damn media long to pick up on things. Hell, the old man might've leaked it himself. But TNN, Vixen 16, all those bastards took the damn ball and ran with it, starting with the 'Hot Legs Massacre', as they're calling it." He paused for a moment, and then continued. "There've been recaps on the Asakawa case, mostly playing up how the boomer saved the little girl, and some interviews with the little girl herself, as well as her grandpa and the back-up security guy who worked with her. Shit, hearin' that kid pleading for the ADP not to 'kill her friend' was almost enough to choke me up. Almost. But then there's the damn rebuttals…"

"Rebuttals?" Akiko said quizzically.

Hall nodded and said, "You familiar with a group called B.A.S.I.C.?"

'Kiko's expression hardened, and she said, "B.A.S.I.C. 'Biologicals for the Abolition of Synthetic Intelligence Cyberdroids'. Yeah, I guess you could say I'm familiar with the bastards; I get hate mail from them on a regular basis. They don't care for cyborgs any more than they do for boomers, apparently. So they've thrown their two cents worth in, I take it?"

"Yeah," Hall said. "They threw a bunch of shit out there, all of it aimed at pissing people off toward boomers in general. Mostly recaps of some of the really bad boomer incidents over the last couple of years, and a couple of ads aimed at cutting into Asakawa's creditability. Their usual shit, I guess."

'Kiko shook her head slowly, and said, "And all this after only three days?"

Hall nodded and said, "Uh-huh, and that's not all." He paused for a moment, considering, and then said, "Leon and Nene are in hot water. Chief's not happy with the media circus, or the political wrestling match that's coming, and he's all set to take it out on them. He called them both on the carpet and grilled them on the Asakawa case, and then put both of them on 'paid leave', pending the results of an Internal Affairs investigation. And I gotta tell ya', 'Kiko, from the way Nene was acting at Hot Legs-"

"They're hiding something." 'Kiko finished matter-of-factly. "They let her walk, or something, but one way or another, they knew she didn't die down in the sewers. That what you're thinking?"

Hall nodded again, and said, "More or less. And if I think so, you can damn well bet IA's thinkin' so too. Now, whatever the hell happened, McNichol's gonna brazen it out and stick with his story, you can bet. He's been around the block too damn many times to crack for a bunch of IA pansies. But Romanova…"

'Kiko sighed, and said, "She might break. Which could get both of them fired, maybe even charged."

"Yeah," Hall said, "that's about the size of it. And, of course, it'd be their own damn fault, but still…"

'Kiko nodded, and said, "It'd be a damn shame. McNichol's a loud-mouthed, obnoxious son of a bitch, but he's also one of the best damn senior cops we've got left."

"And Romanova's still just a kid," Hall added. "If Leon told her to keep her mouth shut, she'd probably do it. Be too damn bad if she got canned or picked up a rap sheet just because she wouldn't rat out a senior officer."

'Kiko exhaled loudly, and said, "You remember that old Chinese curse, Hall? 'May you live in interesting times'?"

Hall snorted, and said, "Yeah, and I'd hafta say we're livin' it, partner. Right here and right now."

Outside the door of the highest office housed in the Genom Tower, Ms. Katherine Madigan, First Special Assistant to the Chairman, waited just a bit nervously. While it was true that, since her little 'accident' at the hands of the bastardized Mason/boomer hybrid, Largo, both her life and her relationship to the Chairman had changed in ways most people wouldn't have believed, she knew all too well that, with the Chairman, there were no absolutes. If he were displeased with her, as he might well be, considering the unforeseen fallout from what should have been a simple product-on-product field test, the consequences could be… unpleasant.

With a deep sigh, she pressed the intercom button next to the door, and waited for an answer. After a few seconds, calculated, no doubt, to increase her anxiety, the Chairman's deep, calm voice said, "Yes?"

Making sure to keep any emotion from her tone, Kate, or Katie, as she thought of herself these days, said, "It's Ms. Madigan, sir. You requested my presence?"

After a few more seconds, his voice came once more. "Yes, of course. Come inside, Kate. We have a few things to discuss."

"Yes, sir," she said, pulling the massive oaken door open as she heard the locking mechanism buzz. Then, letting the door swing shut on it's own behind her, she strode confidently in, stopping a few paces short of the Chairman's antique hardwood desk. He stood behind it, back towards her, hands clasped behind him, gazing out over Mega Tokyo through the full-wall bay window like a Khan surveying his domain.

Turning slowly, he fixed her with the same intense gaze and said, "Relax, Ms. Madigan. This is to be a fairly informal meeting, not an inquisition." And then, seeing her loosen up just slightly, he said, "Good. Now, summarize for me. How is the Asakawa situation developing?"

Knowing that he almost certainly already had the information he'd just requested, Ms. Madigan said carefully, "The situation is maturing much more quickly than we'd thought, sir. It appears that the ADP's cyber-psychologist will render his opinion soon; he's spent the better part of three days interrogating the android, and there's little doubt what he'll say. From there, it appears that the destruction order and Mr. Asakawa's injunction will go into effect simultaneously, at which point he plans to launch his legal battle. It's my understanding that he's already been in contact with a number of rather high-caliber lawyers, as well as representatives of the Diet and the Boomer Ethical Treatment Alliance. And of course, he's already started a media blitz, which has been rather unsuccessfully countered by a number of anti-cyberdroid movements, with B.A.S.I.C. at the forefront. As matters stand now, public opinion is still divided, but young Miss Asakawa's pleas and the human interest stories being run on her father's murder last year seem to be carrying more weight than the opposition's message." She paused for a moment, collating her thoughts, and then said, "From a legal standpoint, Mr. Asakawa is about to set sail into uncharted waters, as it were. There are no real historical parallels for what he's about to try, though we're relatively certain of the tack he'll take."

Nodding slowly, The Chairman said, "I can imagine. The real question, of course, is whether or not he might succeed. Your thoughts?"

Pausing once more to consider, she said, "It is… possible, sir. A number of unforeseeable circumstances seem to have aligned here, not the least of which is Mr. Asakawa's substantial remaining influence with the Diet. If matters were allowed to proceed unhindered, it's conceivable that he might get what he's after."

"Thereby setting a precedent that could, eventually, lead to the legal recognition of all sentient cyberdroids as living beings, deserving of civil rights and legal representation," The Chairman finished quietly.

Ms. Madigan swallowed a bit nervously, and said, "That is the possibility that concerns us, sir."

"And well it should," The Chairman said slowly. Then, in a dangerously playful voice, he said, "Tell me, Ms. Madigan. Do you see any way that our current dilemma could've been avoided? Anything that could have been done differently?"

Seeing the trap before her, Kate decided to simply brazen it out, and said, "No, sir. All things considered, I don't see anything that could have prevented this. We had no way of knowing that the android would show up at our test site, though we did have reports that she was still functional. A determination had been made that it wasn't worth the resources at risk to follow and eliminate her after the conclusion of the Asakawa affair, and she was resourceful enough to eventually elude the rather cursory surveillance left on her. As for the situation after the test, I must confess that neither Dr. Nakatomi nor I had any real idea of what was to come. Given the situation, the natural conclusion was that the ADP would follow it's usual pattern and dismantle her as soon as time permitted. We had no way of knowing that they'd be forestalled long enough for the elder Mr. Asakawa to become involved, or that his rather low opinion of cyberdroids in general had been swayed in this case by his granddaughter. In retrospect, the pattern of events is all too clear, but at the time…"

"I see," The Chairman said in a flatly neutral tone that gave Kate no insight into his feelings on the matter. "So the question now," he continued thoughtfully, "is what's to be done. Again, your thoughts, Kate?"

Frowning slightly, she said, "Certainly we're ready for counter-action on every front, sir. There's a very real possibility that we can have Mr. Asakawa's case dismissed before it's even heard, though there will be some minor political fallout to deal with in that case. Barring that, our legal capabilities are far in advance of anything that even Mr. Asakawa can muster, and we can spin the media in any direction we need to support the court battle. Or, if we so choose, it would be fairly simple to arrange a mishap of some sort. There are enough B.A.S.I.C. sympathizers inside the ADP that an 'early termination' would raise few suspicions. We'd have full deniability, sir."

The Chairman slowly turned then, gazing once more out over the city, his impassive face reflected in the glass before him. Smiling just slightly, he said, "A rather impressive battery of options, Ms. Madigan. And I think we may employ a number of them, though not to the extent that you have in mind."

Bewildered, Ms. Madigan said simply, "Sir?"

"As you said before, Kate," he said slowly and thoughtfully, "this was a situation that couldn't properly have been anticipated or prevented. In fact, it's a situation that's simply been waiting to happen, looked at from that perspective. A situation that could have happened earlier and might very well be repeated later. Given the sheer number of cyberdroids in the world, you might even say that it was inevitable that eventually something like this would come to pass."

Eyes widening, Kate said, "You already have contingency plans for something like this. You knew that this would happen."

He nodded slowly, and said, "It had to sooner or later, although I admit that this is sooner than I'd expected. Still, it only means that certain time tables will have to be moved up. Just in case Mr. Asakawa's little venture is successful."

Frowning again, Kate said incredulously, "You don't plan on opposing this, sir?"

"Oh, I didn't say that," he said, amused. "Certainly we'll make them prove their mettle. And if they're not up to the task, then the status quo will be preserved, for the time being at least. But if they get what they want, it will finally be time to move on to the next phase. And we are very nearly ready, I firmly believe."

Shaking her head in a kind of awe, Kate said, "What do you want me to do then, sir?"

"Three things, Ms. Madigan," he said. "First, implement whatever of the measures you outlined to me before that you deem suitable. But purposely plan with a small margin for error; give them a chance. Second, ensure that our lawyers plan their strategy with certain… contingencies in mind. I'll forward my criteria to you later, and you can take care of the details. And, lastly, Kate, I need for you to ensure that the entire 40-series timetable is accelerated. Bring Dr. Nakatomi into the loop as far as you think you need to, and get the ball rolling with Dr. Ishizawa as well. Let him know that we're ready to go ahead, and get the media campaign started with the BU-40X. Giri, I believe he's named her, yes?"

Kate nodded slowly, a slightly uneasy feeling creeping over her at the mention of the 40-series project, and especially at the mention of Giri.

Sensing this, The Chairman said in a surprisingly compassionate tone, "Kate? You will be able to handle this, I trust? Or does this strike a bit too close to home for you right now?"

"No, sir," she said a bit too quickly. "I'm perfectly capable of handling anything you see fit to task me with, sir. It's just…"

"I know," he said soothingly. "I know. But this is an important matter and yours are the most capable and loyal hands into which I feel I can place it. I'm certain that my confidence in you won't be misplaced."

Feeling a sudden rush of emotion at The Chairman's words, something that the old Kate Madigan never would have felt, she said in a tight voice, "Of course not sir. I'll ensure that everything is taken care of. You won't be disappointed."

Smiling placidly, The Chairman said, "I'm sure I won't, Katie, dear. I'm sure I won't."

As Hall had predicted, Dr. Nakatomi wasn't long in making an appearance. He entered quietly, not bothering to knock, and closed the door carefully behind him. Both Hall and 'Kiko fell silent at the sight of him, putting their still-ongoing conversation on hold.

Into the sudden silence Dr. Nakatomi injected, "Ah, Officer Natomi. So good to see you feeling more yourself again." Then, glancing to Hall, smiling warmly, he said, "And LT Hall, isn't it? So very good to meet you. You're taking good care of this young lady, I trust?"

Frowning slightly, Hall said neutrally, "Nice to meet you too, Doc. And I guess if I'd been taking better care of 'Kiko, we wouldn't be having this conversation, would we?"

The doctor just shook his head slightly, and said, "Nonsense, Lieutenant. I've studied all the reports on the 'Hot Legs Incident', and I certainly can't see anything that could've been done better on your part. In fact, if it hadn't been for your… rather unorthodox approach at the end, I dare say that your partner wouldn't be here now. I don't think we can ask for more than that, now can we?"

"Huh!" Hall said flatly. "I guess not, if you put it that way. So you're here to talk to 'Kiko, right? Something about upgrades, the techies said?"

Dr. Nakatomi nodded and said, "Yes, there are some things I need to explain. You're welcome to listen in, of course, Lieutenant. It certainly behooves you to know your partner's capabilities, after all."

Hall just grunted impassively, and the doctor turned to Akiko, saying, "So how are we feeling today, Officer Natomi? Better, I hope?"

"I don't know, Doctor," she said in a low voice. "How am I feeling today? Or didn't you do the fifteen-point service check when you had me in the shop?"

Frowning just slightly, Nakatomi said, "Oh, come now, Akiko my dear. Sarcasm ill suits you."

'Kiko sighed, and said, "Sorry. I guess I'm just having a hard time accepting the fact that I can be put back together again overnight now, that's all. It's… a little creepy."

The doctor nodded slowly, and said, "That's understandable, of course. But don't think that repairing your body is anything at all like repairing a simple machine. Most of what we did for you wouldn't have been out of place in an emergency room trauma unit. Your body simply has rather amazing inherent recuperative powers, thanks to the nano-technology that permeates it. After dealing with the gross damage, all we really did was immerse you in a nutrient bath and introduce a few more nanites to assist those already on-board. So, in essence, your body healed on it's own, like a human body would. Just a bit faster, of course."

"Right," 'Kiko said skeptically. "So what are these 'upgrades' I'm hearing so much about, Doctor?" And then, sardonically, she added, "I'm just dying to know."

Ignoring her tone, Dr. Nakatomi said, "I'm glad you asked, Akiko." And then, shifting into lecture mode, he continued. "First, we were able to install a number of software upgrades. The telemetric data we pulled from your virtual 'black box' pointed out both the failure of your threat-assessment software, and the unacceptably slow operation of the experimental 'fault-finder'. While your 'hardware' problems were being taken care of, we managed to patch some of that bad code, and hopefully both of those programs will be functioning correctly now. In addition, we installed an upgraded version of your kinesthetic software that should further improve your speed and reaction time, and, in conjunction with a nanoware upgrade, significantly improved the power output of your electrochondria. You remember the specifics of that system, yes?"

'Kiko nodded slowly, and said, "Sure, how could I forget? They replace the mitochondria you'd find in human cells. Instead of breaking down food and storing the chemical energy as adenosine triphosphate, they take hydrogen right out of the water I drink and conduct catalyzed cold fusion. Then they store the energy from that in a whole lot of little nano-sized batteries that circulate freely until they're needed. Basically, it makes me a walking, talking fusion reactor."

Nakatomi nodded appreciatively, and said, "A fair summary. However, the electrochondria in your cells only compliment a mitochondrial analog that handles the processing of normal foodstuffs. Most of the energy you use for casual exertion comes from these, and the electrochondria only 'kick in', so to speak, when your energy demands exceed a certain level. Normally, that only happens when you utilize your internal weaponry, or when you exert yourself at super-human levels." He paused for a moment, and then continued. "As I said, we've managed to raise the system's power output significantly, by over seventy-five percent, in fact. This should alleviate the fatigue you've been experiencing when utilizing the gravimetric blasters, and improve your overall strength and endurance. Which brings me to the next upgrade…"

"There's more?" 'Kiko said incredulously.

Dr. Nakatomi smiled just slightly, and said, "A bit more, my dear." And then, "The last significant upgrade we were able to make was to your gravimetric weaponry. Basically, we added some new conductive channels in your knuckles, and set up a system roughly analogous to a capacitor that allows for split-second gravimetric discharges. In conjunction with a software upgrade, this allows for a far more flexible range of firing options." He paused for a moment, and then said, "Now, in addition to the simple lethal/non-lethal firing modes you had before, there are a number of intensity and concentration settings to choose from. These range from a hemispherical burst intended simply to push opponents back to a highly collimated beam intended to defeat heavy armor." After another short pause, he finished by saying, "Also, we added a 'contact-fire' setting that essentially adds the gravimetric system's damage to a hand-to-hand attack. The effect is rather similar to the shaped-charge-penetrator system utilized by the Knight Sabers, in fact, and it seems to work rather well for them, we've observed."

'Kiko frowned, and said, "So you're trying to turn me into a living, breathing hardsuit? Is that what you're saying?"

"No, not at all, my dear," Dr. Nakatomi said, smiling. "We simply want to equip you as well as we possibly can to do the job you're doing. And you must admit, considering the close call you just had, that there's no such thing as over-kill in this particular arena. Am I right?"

Grudgingly, 'Kiko said, "I suppose so, Doctor. So now what? Back into the breach?"

Dr. Nakatomi shook his head just slightly, and said, "If that's what you really want, Akiko. Certainly you're perfectly capable from a physical standpoint, though you'll need at least some firing range and VR familiarization with those upgrades before you're 'street certified' again." Then, frowning slightly, he said, "But, to reiterate my earlier question, how do you FEEL? On the inside, I mean. Do you think you're quite ready to just go back out there?"

'Kiko started to reply, thought for a moment, and then, sighing, said, "It's my job, Doctor. More than that, it's pretty much my life right now. If I'm not out on the street, what good am I?"

The doctor nodded slowly, and said, "Well, far be it for me to keep you from your work, my dear. But at the very least, you'll need to visit the on-call psychologist before and after every shift for the next few days. I must insist on that much. And if you should need anything at all, don't hesitate to call me." Then, turning to Hall, he said, "And of course the same applies to you, LT Hall. Please ensure that your partner is being taken care of, and takes care of herself."

Frowning, Hall said, "Yeah, I think I can handle that, Doc. But thanks anyway."

"Well, then," Nakatomi said, heading for the door, "I suppose that about concludes matters here." And, as he departed, "Do take care of yourselves, Officers."

Looking to Akiko, Hall said slowly, "Gotta admit, you had that one pegged, 'Kiko. There's definitely something not right about that old bastard."

Nodding slowly, 'Kiko said, "Yeah, and I really wish I knew what that something was, partner."

_End of chapter 5, and the plot thickens, so to speak. Chapter 6 will be up soon, and that's probably going to be it for a while; I don't have the rest written yet! So if you're enjoying this, let me know, and just maybe I'll be able to find a little time to finish this sometime soon…_


	6. Strange Allegiances

_Well, last chapter for a while; let me know what you think._

For lack of a better venue, they'd decided to meet at Linna's place, though she'd been reluctant at first. She'd cited the busy schedule her new job at the stock exchange entailed, and claimed that she just wouldn't have the time for at least a couple of days. But, after one terse sentence from Priss, she'd reluctantly agreed.

Now the three of them, Nene included, sat at Linna's kitchen table, staring down in an awkward silence, broken finally by Priss.

"Well, hell. You've been watching the news, right?"

Linna nodded slowly, and said, "Yeah." Then, shaking her head, she said, "Why did she come back? So soon, I mean?"

Priss sighed, and said, "Hell, how do I know? It's not like I got a chance to talk to her. But why do you think she'd come back?"

"Aiko," Linna said quietly. "She came back because she missed Aiko. It has to be."

Priss nodded, and said, "That's what I figure. What the hell she was doing in Hot Legs, I don't know." Then, shaking her head, she said, "Sometimes I swear there MUST be a God up there. Shit couldn't get this screwed up without somebody pushing the buttons."

On her side of the table, Nene nodded slowly, and said, "Tell me about it. Leon and I- I don't know what's going to happen. The chief doesn't believe what we put in the report, and the guys from IA don't either. They've asked Jillian, but she won't say anything to contradict our story. Still, there are enough inconsistencies and all… I just don't know what to do. I don't want to rat Leon out, but we could end up getting fired or even going to jail if-!" Then, putting her head down on her folded arms dejectedly, she repeated, "I just don't know what to do."

Frowning, Priss said, "Stick by your damn guns, Nene! Like you said, they've got no real evidence that you or Leon did anything wrong. If you let them freak you out, and tell them something, they'll have you. Just stick with your story. You can bet Leon will."

Nene sighed, and said, "Yeah, I guess you're right. But it's not easy. Those guys are pros, and they tear up other cops for a living."

There was silence again, as there seemed little to say to this, and then, from where she sat, Linna said, "So. It's good to get together again and all, and it really is too bad what's going on over this whole thing with Jillian, but where are we going with this? Was there really a reason for us to meet like this?"

Looking at her incredulously, Priss said, "A reason? Hell, Linna, we're friends, right? Isn't that reason enough to get together when the shit hits the fan? Not only that, but obviously we've gotta figure out what the hell we're gonna do, right?"

Frowning, Linna said, "Do? Priss, just what do you think we CAN do? If I understand things right, there's a legal thunderstorm brewing up over this. Aiko's grandpa is getting ready to throw this to the courts, and he, of all people, just might be able to pull something off. If that happens, Jillian will be way better off than she was before."

"And if it doesn't, they'll take her apart." Priss said flatly. "Did you bother dragging her over to Pop's place just so that could happen? Did he put her back together just so that the damned ADP could rip her apart again six months later? And how the hell do you think it's gonna make Aiko feel if they do?"

Still frowning, Linna said softly, "That's a cheap shot, Priss. You know damn well how Aiko will feel. And of course I don't want that to happen. But, again, what do you think we can do? Do you want to suit up and go raid the ADP? Maybe end up hurting or even killing a few cops to break her out? Oh, but wait a minute! We can't suit up, now can we? Sylia's off in Germany, and we don't even KNOW what's going on with all our gear right now. So I guess that's out. Oh, maybe we can get Nene to work a little of her magic from the inside! But no, I forgot, she's on suspension right now. Guess that's out too, now isn't it?"

Smoldering now, Priss said, "Yeah, sarcastic bullshit is really what I need right now, Linna! I'm glad you're such a good, supportive damn friend and all!"

"Guys?" Nene said softly, catching the attention of neither of her friends.

"Oh!" Linna yelled. "Now I'm a crappy friend, huh? Because I'm willing to face reality, and lay it out for you too? That's great, Priss. I'm glad to see how you really feel. And since you feel that way, why don't you just take a hike?"

"Guys?" Nene said again, a little louder this time but still to no effect.

"You're throwing me out!" Priss said indignantly. "Well, shit, that's just fine then! You can go ahead and sit on your ass here, or bury your head ass deep in that new job of yours, or whatever the hell you want to do! Obviously you're more interested in that bullshit than in lifting a finger to help a friend or just doing what's right!"

Linna gasped, and said, "I-! You-! Who the hell do you think you are to judge me, Priscilla Asagiri! You're so far up on your damn moral high-horse you can't even see straight anymore! And another thing-!"

"GUYS!" Nene yelled at the top of her lungs, startling the other two into silence. Tears rolling slowly down her cheeks, she said miserably, "Priss. Linna. Why are you two doing this to each other? We're friends. We're KNIGHT SABERS. We've been through so much together! And now you two want to tear into each other for no real reason at all? Guys, we're supposed to stick together no matter what. And if that's not true anymore, then- then I guess we were never really friends at all. Is that how it is?"

Both of the others were momentarily silent, shamed by the truth of Nene's outburst. And then, putting a hand over Nene's, Priss said softly, "Of course not, Nene. We're still friends. And, even if we disagree, we're still here for each other."

Linna nodded slowly, a sheen of moisture on her eyes, and said, "She's right, Nene. And I- I didn't mean to sound the way I did. It's just that- I really don't know what we can do. Even if Sylia were here, and we had our stuff, is there anything we could do with it that would help? I don't know…"

Priss sighed, and said, "I don't know either. And that's what's making me crazy. Not being able to do any damn thing. Hot Legs gets trashed, a bunch of innocent people die, all of my band's equipment gets wrecked, and on top of it all, somebody we all went to a lot of trouble to help out gets caught in a jam. Damn it! There's got to be something we can do!"

Looking up at her, Nene said softly, "I know how you feel, Priss. But something I've figured out lately is… well, sometimes there just isn't much you can do. Sometimes the best you can do is wait and watch and be ready in case there's an opportunity to do something. And I think that's about all we can do here."

Frowning slightly, Priss said sullenly, "I hate shit like that. But you might just be right. So what've you got in mind?"

Nene sighed, and said, "I guess we'll just have to keep an eye on things. And if worst comes to worst, well… then we'll see. One thing we really should do, though, is check out LADYS633, and probably Raven's too. We need to find out what we'll have access to if- well, just in case."

Linna frowned, and said, "Sure, I suppose, but- well, Sylia didn't really leave behind any contingency plans. That's really not like her, but I guess it means that she really didn't foresee us having to go out creeping without her."

"Huh!" Priss said, and then thoughtfully, "She probably didn't really WANT us doing anything while she was gone. In case you haven't noticed, she's just a little bit of a control freak sometimes."

Linna rolled her eyes, and, smiling, said, "Oh, no, I never noticed that. But, yeah, that's probably true, so…"

Grinning just slightly, Priss finished, "So, like Nene said, we'll have to see what she left us. And then, assuming we have to use the gear, we'd better come up with something damn good to tell Sylia when she gets back. Especially since I kinda doubt we'd be getting paid for any of the shit we'd end up having to do for this."

Linna sighed, and said, "Why do I have the feeling that before this is all over, Nene's not the only one who's going to be in hot water?"

Still grinning, Priss said, "Probably because you're right. But, what the hell. Sometimes you've gotta take a few chances to help out your friends."

The other two just nodded silently in agreement, both suddenly caught up in their own thoughts on the subject.

After spending a couple of hours on the ADP's indoor range, soon to be shut down for renovations, according to the chief, 'Kiko and Hall decided to call it quits. Both were satisfied that she had the hang of her weapons' new capabilities, and after spending most of the last day and a half at 'Kiko's side, even Hall had to admit that he was exhausted.

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna head home and grab some sack time," he said as they exited the range.

'Kiko sighed, and said, "Well, I suppose I might as well crawl back into my little hole upstairs and log on to Cytech's server. I can probably knock out some of that VR familiarization Dr. Nakatomi was talking about tonight. I'm not the least bit sleepy right now, and it's not like I have much of anything better to do."

Frowning slightly, Hall said, "Y'know, 'Kiko, you really should pick up some hobbies that don't have anything to do with work. If all you do, twenty-four-seven, is work-related shit, you're gonna drive yourself nuts eventually. You gotta be able to escape in your mind every once in a while, if not in the flesh."

"I guess," 'Kiko said non-commitally, and then, cocking her head slightly, "So what's your great escape, partner? Beer and a rack of ribs in front of the TV?"

Hall snorted, and said, "Oh, you're funny, Natomi. Ever consider going into stand-up?"

Grinning just slightly, she said, "Sure, why not? If they'd ever let me out of here to do it, that is… But seriously, Hall; what's your hobby? You've got one, I assume, since you're trying to sell me on it."

Hall nodded, and said, "Well, I've got a couple, I guess. There's martial arts, but in our line of work I guess you couldn't say that isn't job-related. Other than that, well… I guess you'd say I like well-made things. Clothes, furniture, cars, guns, whatever. And I go out of my way to find stuff like that. So I suppose you could call that a hobby."

'Kiko arched an eyebrow, and said, "Yeah, those were some fairly fancy threads you were wearing the other night. But somehow I just can't picture you in a whole house full of stuff like that. It just doesn't seem…"

"In character?" Hall said in an amused tone.

"I guess," 'Kiko said, shrugging. "You've always just seemed a lot more rough-and-tumble, that's all."

Hall nodded, and said, "Yeah, that's my point. That's me at work, but when I'm away from work, I try to GET AWAY FROM work. If I didn't, I'd probably blow a gasket eventually."

'Kiko nodded slowly, and said, "I see your point, I guess. And I do have hobbies; old movies, old music, sci-fi books, stuff like that. I just haven't really had time for any of that since- well, hell, probably since Toshi died. After that, it was just one damn thing after another, and most of my time was divided between work and taking care of Maiume. And then, after the accident, well… hobbies have been the last thing on my mind, I guess."

Yawning loudly, Hall said, "'Scuse me. Guess I can understand that."

"You really are beat," 'Kiko said matter-of-factly. "Just how long did you sit there in the infirmary with me, anyway?"

"Since they brought you back here," he said in the same tone. "I didn't want you to wake up all alone, wondering what the hell was going on. All things considered, looks like that was a good idea."

Glancing at him slightly askance, Akiko said in an odd tone, "You sat in there for something like thirty-six hours just so I wouldn't have to wake up alone? That's an awfully considerate thing to do for somebody you didn't want to partner up with in the first place, now isn't it?"

Coloring slightly, Hall said quickly, "Ah, hell, 'Kiko. In my book at least, that kind of shit is what being partners is all about. Whatever I wanted or didn't want, we're partners now, and that means we take care of each other."

Feeling a sudden stinging in her eyes, Akiko reached out to put a hand on Hall's arm, and in a voice tight with emotion said, "I'm glad you feel that way, Hall. Right now, having someone who actually cares about me means a lot."

Flushing even more, Hall said in a low tone, "I can understand that, 'Kiko. And whatever the hell else happens, I'll be here if you need me." Then, breaking the suddenly serious tone the conversation had taken, Hall added, "'Course, I damn well expect the same from you. If I manage to get my ass shot off out there, I'd better not wake up in the damn hospital all by myself. Fair's fair, after all."

'Kiko chuckled slightly, and said, "Don't worry, partner. If it comes to that, I'll be right there for you. Count on it."

Once Hall had left, 'Kiko found that she just didn't feel like going straight back to her suite. There were a lot of odd thoughts, mental flotsam and jetsam, really, chasing their way around her mind, and she decided to just take a little walk around the building before calling it a night.

As she strolled down the corridors and stairwells, thinking over the afternoon's activities and the conversation she'd had with Hall, she found a small smile playing about her lips and felt a sort of lightness to her step that had been absent for quite some time. She was, she realized in mild surprise, actually happy for a change. Certainly she was still disturbed by some of the things she'd mentioned to Hall after waking up, but, for the moment, her troubles seemed almost manageable. For the first time since the accident, she felt that she truly had a safety net underneath her, someone who'd support her if and when she needed it. Someone who…

And then, frowning, she stopped where she was, a sudden unwelcome thought hitting her like a thrown brick. 'Oh my God, I'm falling for Hall!' She blinked in disbelief as the realization sank in, and then thought, 'I must be out of my damn mind! He's my partner! Technically, he's my damn boss! And he's not-! He's-! I-! Son of a bitch."

Shaking her head, she thought dejectedly, 'Well, if anything could screw up a promising partnership, this would be it. Never mix business with pleasure… and God only knows how he'd react. Hall's been damn open-minded so far, but…' Unable to finish that, she sighed and then thought, 'Well, one thing's for sure. This is something I've got to keep to myself, at least until it passes.' And then, a bit desperately, she thought, 'God, I hope this passes…!'

As he drove toward home, fighting sleep the whole way, Hall too had his share of odd thoughts. 'For somebody so damn tough on the outside, she sure is fragile on the inside. Her moods swing back and forth like a pendulum on a damn clock, and I swear her ego's as brittle as glass. From what little I've seen, it looks like it'd only take one more good emotional shot to shatter her into a million pieces.' Then, sighing, he thought, 'On the other hand, she's already been through more shit than any three normal people. Christ, if I'd had to go through that kind of hell, I might've lost it by now myself. If anybody ever deserved a damn break, it's her. And it's not like anybody, especially that damn worthless excuse for a chief, is gonna give it to her.'

He felt a smoldering anger take fire in his gut as he remembered what the chief had said that night, and, shaking his head he thought, 'That bastard. How the hell can he lump her into the same category as a damn radar gun or a sniper rifle? Can't the stupid bastard see that she's still a human-damn-being? Shit, I doubt if he even cares.'

And then, remembering the harsh words he'd had with her, what, only four days ago? It seemed so much longer… he thought, 'Yeah, and she didn't deserve the crap I gave her either. Sure, she was showing off, and maybe even bein' a little reckless, but shit. I didn't quite get it then, but after what happened in the club… The look on her face when she saw all those people gettin' shot up, and the way she just jumped into that damn hail of bullets to shield them… She wasn't just blowin' smoke when she said she dropped into every incident she could to try and keep as many people as possible from dying. She isn't a grand-stander. She really cares about other people more than she cares about herself. If there were more damn cops like her out there… hell, for that matter, if there were more PEOPLE like her out there…'

Then, sighing, he thought, 'Yeah, she's good people alright, but I knew that before she was my partner. Back before all this shit happened, and she was just another line troopie in my squad… Even then, she was like that. She's always been the kind of cop who'd take a bullet for somebody else if she had the choice. Christ, I remember the night she bit it… Goddamn, I hate losing my people. And then what they did to her afterwards… But at least she's still alive. And I gotta admit, I can't say I'm sorry about that. The ADP's a better place for still having her around, and I'm damn glad she pulled through the other night. If she hadn't…'

And then, frowning, he thought, 'Hey, wait a minute, now. Where the hell'm I goin' with this?' Shaking his head slowly, he thought, 'Gettin' sweet on your partner would be bad news, Hall, especially with 'Kiko. She's a helluva girl, but right now she needs a friend she can trust, not a boss chasin' after her skirt. And betrayin' her trust like that could be a real bad idea, for a lot of reasons…'

Back at the ADP tower, 'Kiko continued her walk, her thoughts still turbulent. Eventually, she found herself on the second floor, and realized that she was nearing the holding area. 'Well,' she thought, 'I suppose I might as well drop in and see how she's doing. It's not like I have anything better to do, and I guess I owe her that much at least…'

As she approached the door to the holding cell area, 'Kiko stopped suddenly, a peculiar noise on the other side catching her attention. Frowning, she cautiously reached for the door handle, and, turning it carefully so as to minimize the noise, slowly opened the door a crack. Peeking through, she saw the line of five seldom-used heavy holding cells on the right, more an after thought, really, for an organization like the ADP. It wasn't very often, after all, that they brought back anything to hold.

Inside the nearest cell, trussed up in heavy, elaborate restraints that completely covered her hands and bound her in such a way that she could move neither arms nor legs, sat Jillian. With a coolly appraising expression, she scrutinized a group of three fully suited-up ADP line-officers who stood just outside the cell. Two stood with M42A1's at the ready, shouldered and aimed at Jillian, while the other, weapon back-slung, held the source of the odd noise 'Kiko had heard; an activated laser-edged cutter of the type typically used to disassemble boomers.

As she watched, one of the weapon-wielding troopers sidled over to the holding-cell control panel, located safely out of reach of the cells themselves, and quickly tapped in an unlocking code with his off hand. As the locking mechanism clicked, and the door slowly swung open, the trooper with the cutter moved cautiously forward, the blade held out in front of him.

"End of the line, bitch," he said flatly as he advanced.

Cocking her head slightly, Jillian just looked him in the eye, and said, "I don't know why you're doing this. I'm very certain that the injunction filed by Master Asakawa very specifically prohibits what you're about to do. The possibility of losing your job over this doesn't concern you?"

The trooper snorted, and said, "Get real. Who cares about that shit? We know what to do with a rogue goddamn boomer, even if a bunch of bleeding heart liberal bastards don't, and we're willing to take whatever heat comes. But please, resist a little. That'd be just fine with us."

Jillian's expression hardened just slightly, and she said, "No, officer, I don't think I'll do that. One, I wouldn't want to give you the satisfaction. And two, whether or not you believe it, I don't want to hurt you. I've had to hurt too many people in my life, and, if I can avoid it, I don't want to ever have to hurt anyone again."

"Huh!" The trooper said sardonically as he came within reach of Jillian. "Well, you're about to get your wish, then, I guess."

But, as he raised the cutter to strike, 'Kiko decided she'd heard enough. Throwing the door open, she came storming through, yelling, "What the hell's going on here! What on God's green Earth do you three think you're doing!"

All three spun around in unison, two bringing their weapons to bear on 'Kiko. The third trooper, cutter still held in his hands, just stared at 'Kiko, an expression of contempt replacing the surprise on his face, and said, "None of your damn business, freak. Just turn around and walk away; this doesn't concern you."

'Kiko felt her blood practically ignite at these words, and in a low, thinly controlled voice, she said, "Excuse me, TROOPER? First off, I don't remember ever hearing the word 'freak' anywhere in the ADP rank structure, and second, in case you've suddenly gone blind, these are sergeant's pips on my collar. The last time I checked, that means I'M friggin' in charge here! And you didn't answer my question, Trooper; WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING IN HERE!"

Expression hardening even further, the trooper said, "Screw you! We don't take orders from friggin' boomers, which is pretty much what the hell you are. Who-the-hell-ever had the bright idea to stick a friggin' cyborg in the ADP should be shot. And we're doing what needs to be done. End of friggin' story."

'Kiko just shook her head in amazement, and said, "Well, bright-boy, here's a news flash for you: YOU AREN'T DOING JACK SHIT! You've got about three goddamn seconds to drop those pop-guns. Do I need to elaborate on the 'or else'?"

But rather than drop their weapons, 'Kiko could see, as if in slow motion to her hyper-fast perceptions, the telltale shifting and tightening of muscles that denoted they were about to fire on her. In utter astonishment, she just stood, unable to believe what was happening.

The hail of fire from the two M42A1's sprayed over her, bullets ripping through her lightly armored fatigues and then flattening on her carbon-nanotube reinforced hide. The 10mm armor-piercers felt a bit like a heavy rain as they cascaded over her, failing to cause her even discomfort, much less injury. And still, she just couldn't believe it. She was actually being fired upon by her fellow officers. Maybe even by officers whose lives she'd saved somewhere out in the field. And then she got angry.

With a growl, she stepped forward, striding through the hail of lead as though it were water. Reaching the first trooper, Akiko batted the M42 aside, the force of the blow ripping it from his grasp and breaking several of his fingers in the process. As the trooper cried out in pain, clutching his injured hand, 'Kiko hit him with a very restrained palm strike to the chest. Even reigned in as it was, the blow lifted the trooper from his feet and threw him back to slam into a wall with a loud "Whuff!" Breathless and stunned, he slumped to the floor.

Turning to the other carbine-wielding officer, who'd stopped firing as soon as he couldn't continue without hitting his comrade, 'Kiko lashed out with a snap-kick aimed at his weapon. Again, the weapon was torn from his grasp, causing him some injury in the process, and again 'Kiko followed up with a palm strike with similar results.

She turned once more to track the third trooper, and found him engaged in the better part of valor. Slapping the duress alarm on his way out, he ran through the open doorway behind 'Kiko, yelling at the top of his lungs, "Jesus Christ, somebody help me! She's gone friggin' nuts! She'll kill us all if we don't stop her!"

'Oh, come on,' 'Kiko thought sardonically, bringing her grav-blasters online at one of their lowest non-lethal settings, 'What a freakin' ham.' Then, sighting in on the fleeing, over-acting trooper, she fired a single short burst, catching him center mass in the back. With a loud "Woulff!" the trooper was picked up off his feet and then lip-skidded to a halt, out cold, just as another officer rounded the corner to investigate the commotion.

"Son of a bitch!" The trooper yelled, backpedaling and then scrambling back the way he'd come. As he fled, 'Kiko heard him yelling, "Hey! Hey! Everybody get your shit on! We got friggin' trouble!"

'Oh, shit!' 'Kiko thought, her knees suddenly weak. 'What the hell did I just start?' And then, as realization and near-panic hit her simultaneously, 'My God, they're going to think I've gone 'Fanward'! They'll-! Oh, God, I can't let it come to that! I can't!'

Thinking rapidly and probably none-to-logically, 'Kiko whipped around to face Jillian. "We can't stay here," she said quickly. "They're gonna come in here shooting first and not bothering to ask any damn questions. They won't be able to hurt me without breaking out the heavy weapons or the k-suits, but they know that. And they'll likely get you in the cross-fire."

Jillian sighed, and said, "You're probably right, but what do you want to do? Can't you reason with them?"

'Kiko bit her lip, and said, "I- Maybe, but- Oh, hell, I just don't know. They might listen, but- if they don't, it's all over. I won't get into a fire-fight with the whole damned ADP! If that happened… it wouldn't matter who won. My life would be over, one way or another."

"Then our best option is probably to run," Jillian said matter-of-factly. "At least until we can find a way to get the truth through to someone who'll listen."

'Kiko nodded slowly, still mostly in shock, and said, "You're right, I guess. My God…" And then, snapping at least partially back to reality, she said, "But that means we've got to go now. It'll only be a minute or two before they head in here in force!"

With that, 'Kiko stepped into Jillian's open cell, and, bending down, threw her two-hundred kilos of androidial weight over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Sorry," she said quickly, already moving, "But there's no time to take all that crap off right now."

Jillian sighed, and said, "No, I suppose not. Well, what's the saying then? Be gentle with me?"

'Kiko giggled just a bit hysterically, and said, "Don't think I can guarantee that, I'm afraid. So you'd better just brace yourself."

Jillian nodded resignedly, and said, "Right. Let's do it, then."

_So. That's it for now. Let me know what you think, and if I can get a little time, I'll try to finish this. If you think it's worth it, that is._


End file.
